6 to 8 Weeks
by Upsgirl88
Summary: Daryl breaks his leg on a run and Carol takes care of him while he heals.
1. Chapter 1

Carol looked into the large pot of stew she had just made and smiled. It looked wonderful and smelled delicious. She enjoyed cooking for everyone and was very excited for them to try the stew. With the amount of stuff they had collected, pots, pans, spices, she was beginning to feel like she had a real kitchen to cook out of. Not since she had made dinner at Hershel's farm had she felt like she had truly made a great meal.

A flurry of activity near the gate snapped Carol from her own thoughts and started her heart racing. Horns were honking, engines were revving, and Carol knew that they didn't make noise unless something was wrong, very wrong.

The spoon fell from her hand and Carol started running towards the drive to the spot where the vehicles would pull up once they got through the gate. She glanced down towards the gate and watched as Carl and Tyreese opened it as quickly as they could.

"Please don't let it be Daryl," was the first thing that came to her mind. Carol felt immediately guilty knowing that other people she cared about had also gone on that run. Maggie, Glenn, Michonne... Of course she hoped they were all safe but Daryl was always her first thought.

Rick came running from out of the prison, followed by Hershel limping behind him. "What's going on?" Rick asked, out of breath.

Carol shrugged, "no idea." They watched and waited as the car sped towards them, followed by Daryl's bike. Carol felt bile rise in her throat when she saw that Glenn was driving the motorcycle. "Daryl," she whispered, catching Hershel's eye. The older man mustered up a reassuring smile, "we will take care of him," he said squeezing her shoulder before moving quickly towards the car.

Michonne jumped out, "it's Daryl," she confirmed. "His leg is broken, it's bad." She opened the back door to reveal Maggie putting pressure to Daryl's right thigh. "He passed out, just before we got here," Michonne continued. "He's a tough son of a bitch," she grinned. "Saved Glenn from gettin bit, even after he broke his leg." Carol smiled. That was so typical of Daryl. He was a hero.

Carol peeked in the car from a distance. When she saw Daryl's face, pale and sweaty, it took everything she had to stay out of the way and let Hershel work.

"We have to get him inside so I can take a good look at this." Hershel backed away so Rick and Tyreese could get Daryl out.

Carol grabbed Michonne's wrist, "come on, let's get everything ready."The two of them took off but not before Carol heard Daryl groan as the guys lifted him. She glanced back quickly, then ran, trying to catch up to Michonne. "Jesus, maybe I should start jogging with her," Carol thought, trying to distract herself from the knot in her stomach.

By the time the men arrived with Daryl they had things set up. Blankets, towels, water, alcohol, everything was ready for Hershel. Carol often helped Hershel when there were injuries but she found herself hanging back this time, frozen with anxiety. Maggie and Rick were helping and Carol needed air.

With one last glance and an aching desire to touch him she left Daryl in capable hands and went outside to breathe.

Not long after she got outside Michonne showed up, looking a bit shaken, even through her tough exterior. Carol met her eyes. "I didn't know how much you cared about him," she said gently.

Michonne smiled softly. "He's become the big brother I never had. Feels like I have some family again, ya know?"

Carol reached out and grabbed her hand, "You do have family now, we're all in this together." She paused, "but I am glad you're close to him. He needs people who understand him, and I believe you do."

Michonne glanced at the ground. "I glad you feel that way. I wasn't sure..."

Carol knew where Michonne was headed. "I'm not the jealous type," she said with a laugh. "Besides," Carol added "he's not mine to share." Michonne looked doubtful. "He's not," Carol insisted.

"I saw the look on your face when we brought him back today. And I see the worry in your eyes right now."

"It's the same worry I see in your eyes," Carol shot back, slightly defensive.

Michonne met her eyes again. "Yes, but I have seen the way you look at him, and it is definitely not the same way I do."

Carol stared back. Deep down she knew Michonne was probably right but Carol had never allowed herself to consciously think of Daryl as anything more than a friend. Yeah, she joked with him, teased him mercilessly, because it made her laugh when he blushed. Carol liked flirting. It was part of the liberation she gained after Ed died.

Michonne interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you any more than you already are. "

"It's ok." Carol shook her head. She changed the subject. "Tell me what happened?"

"We found a mall. It was a stupid idea to go in, I don't even really know what we were hoping to find. Glenn thought there could be a pharmacy or maybe an electronics store with batteries and walkie talkies, stuff like that." Michonne shook her head, "it was stupid. But we went in. Everything was fine at first so we separated, just a bit, to check things out faster. We were almost ready to leave and I went to find Daryl. He was in a jewelry store, of all places," Michonne laughed and Carol smiled in response, thinking of Daryl surrounded by rings and necklaces.

"Walkers came out of nowhere. Lots of them. They blocked the entrance and Daryl was trapped. He broke the store window and came out that way but a huge piece of glass cut open his leg. There was so much blood." Michonne shuddered and Carol felt her stomach turn at the thought. "We were running and he was trying to keep up but his leg was weak and he slipped in the blood. The way he landed, it was so awkward, I knew he broke his leg." Michonne paused for a breath, obviously disturbed by what had occurred. "Glenn was the closest and he ran back to help. He would have got bit if Daryl hadn't acted fast and shot the walker. Somehow... Somehow we got him up and out of there."

Michonne closed her eyes. "I just pray we made it back in time and he hasn't lost too much blood."

Carol didn't know what to say so they stood there in silence for a moment. "Do you want to go back in with me? Check on him?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"You go ahead." Michonne managed a smile, "He will want to see you when he wakes up. But will you ask Rick to let me know what's going on?"

Carol nodded, "Sure." She walked towards the prison with a million thoughts in her mind about the conversation that had just occurred. She pushed them all away for the time being and focussed on Daryl, she needed to know he was ok.

Rick was outside the room they had set up for Hershel. Carol didn't even have to ask before Rick started to update her. "Hershel set the bone and stiched him up and he's just working on some kind of cast. The cut was bad and he lost a lot of blood but his pulse is strong and Hershel is pretty confident he'll be just fine." Carol sighed with relief and hugged Rick impulsively. He hugged her back, knowing she needed the comfort of physical contact, and he needed a little of his own as well. "It was scary for a while," Rick admitted "but he really will be ok." Rick gave her one last squeeze before releasing her. "Why don't you go in? He's still out cold but Hershel should be almost done."

Carol peeked her head in. Daryl was laying there covered with a blanket as Hershel and Maggie were cleaning up the mess. She watched as Maggie gathered up the blood soaked jeans they had cut off him and wrapped them up in bloody sheets and towels. "Hey," she said acknowledging Carol. "I'm just going to get rid of this stuff," she said to her dad before heading out.

"Rick filled me in," Carol said to Hershel. "Will he wake up soon?"

"I expect he will," Hershel said. "And I expect he's not going to be very happy." Hershel lifted the sheet to show Carol the "cast" they had devised. It was bulky but looked secure. "Its boards and strips of sheets, it's the best we could do." Hershel looked at her seriously, "he needs to wear this for 6 to 8 weeks. If he doesn't his leg won't heal and he may suffer permanent damage." Hershel touched her shoulder. "Someone needs to be with him, all the time. There will be a lot of things he can't do alone but more importantly, we all know what Daryl is like and I need to be sure he's not going to push it." Carol nodded realizing that Hershel was suggesting she be the one. "Are you up for a challenge?" he asked.

Carol looked at Daryl, laying there silently. She moved to his side and touched his forehead. "I'll do whatever it takes," she said. Hershel nodded and left the room. Carol leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Daryl's forehead. He stirred slightly. Carol brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes as they fluttered open. "Hey there sleepy head," she said with a smile.

Daryl groaned in response. "Fuck, my leg hurts." He lifted the blanket and looked down. Carol was about to say something reassuring when he suddenly got agitated. "My pants, where the hell are my pants?" Anger flashed in his eyes.

"They had to cut them off to fix you leg," Carol said calmly.

"Ok but where the fuck are they?" he said in frustration. "I need them."

"Maggie took them to get rid of them," Carol looked at him confused. "Must be in shock or something," she thought to herself.

Daryl persisted, "Stop her, I need those pants." Daryl tried to sit up and Carol rushed to keep him laying still.

"Ok, calm down," Carol said firmly. "I'll go find them if you promise to just lay still and calm down."

Daryl nodded. "Go," he said when she hesitated.

Carol ran out of the room hoping she could catch Maggie before she disposed of the jeans, the whole time wondering why a destroyed pair of bloody jeans was so damn important.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl leaned his head back and tried to ignore the painful throbbing in his leg. "Dammit I hope she finds my pants or this whole fucking situation was for nothing."

He knew at the time that going into the jewelry store was stupid. They had agreed to get in and out quick, only grabbing essentials. But he couldn't resist looking knowing the opportunity may never arise again. Daryl had found exactly what he was looking for. The store hadn't been looted. Really, who needs jewelry during the zombie apocalypse right? He had to smash the lock to get into the glass case and the noise is likely what drew the walkers into the store. Daryl had thought of that, but figured he would be long gone before they ever arrived.

But the lock had been more secure than he anticipated and it took a few good hits to smash it off. By the time Daryl had the object in his hand the walkers had closed in. He stuffed it in his pants pocket and the rest was a blur after that. He could distinctly remember the fiery burn when the glass sliced open his leg. And the incredible amount of pain when he fell, breaking his leg. Daryl remembered shooting a walker to save Glenn and being pissed off when no one retrieved the bolt for him. After that there was only bits and pieces. Being carried to the car, yelling at Glenn to bring his bike, Maggie sitting with him in the back seat, pressing on the leg wound. Daryl wondered if she knew how badly pressure on a broken leg hurt? He remembered Michonne driving like a maniac and after that, nothing.

Nothing, until he woke to Carol smiling down at him. In the grand scheme of things it had been a pretty nice way to wake up. Her smile did something to him that felt good. But even that couldn't mask the pain in his leg. But when he looked down and realized his pants were missing he damn near lost his mind. He couldn't tell Carol why he needed them so badly, and he hoped that she would just bring them back without searching the pockets. She was looking at him like he was crazy and Daryl couldn't blame her. But he also couldn't explain, he just needed her to get the pants and bring them back. He just couldn't let it all be for nothing.

Daryl moved his leg a bit and felt a wave of nausea. He took a few deep breaths and focussed on something else. "What am I going to tell her when she brings them back? They were my lucky pants?" Daryl snorted, "yeah then she's going to think you're even more fucking insane than she already does." Daryl hoped she would just bring them back and not press the issue.

**Carol jogged through the prison in search of Maggie. Beth was the first person she ran into. "Have you seen your sister?" she asked, slightly breathless.**

**"I think she went outside with Rick to burn those bloody sheets."**

**"Shit," Carol swore under her breath eliciting a look from Beth since Carol rarely cussed. "Can you do me a favor?" Carol asked. "Can you go visit Daryl? He's awake and I'm sure he could use some cheering up." Beth nodded. Carol said thanks and took off for outside. Carol knew that Beth and Daryl had developed a special relationship as of late. Beth looked up to him and Daryl enjoyed having her around. Carol knew that if anything ever happened to Hershel that Daryl would likely become a father figure to Beth. Right now though, he was like the cool Uncle. And Uncle Daryl could definitely use some cheering up from someone Carol knew he would never get angry with.**

**Carol smiled to herself. "This way if I don't find the pants in time he's not going to lose his temper with Beth there." When Carol got outside she headed to the barrel where they burn stuff. She peeked in and sighed with relief. They hadn't started the fire yet. She fished around and pulled out the jeans. She quickly folded them up and headed back inside. Rick and Maggie appeared from around the corner. "I thought you would still be with Daryl," Maggie said with a look of concern.**

**Carol stopped. "I gave him a few minutes with Beth. I know she was pretty upset. I'm headed back there now though." She tried to hide the pants nonchalantly to avoid questions she couldn't answer. She started to walk away then remembered something. "Rick, can you find Michonne and let her know Daryl is awake and he's going to be fine?" Carol didn't wait for a reply before she ran off.**

**Both Beth and Daryl were smiling when Carol slipped back into the room. She kept the jeans behind her feeling like a damn smuggler. Daryl glanced her way and she gave a small nod to let him know she had the pants.**

**"Hey Kiddo, I need to talk to Carol, ok?" Daryl said quietly to Beth.**

**"Sure." She stood up. "I need to go check on Carl and Judith anyway. She's probably hungry and some days she only eats for me." Carol watched her leave with a smile, impressed by her commitment to looking after a baby at such a young age. But they all did what was needed of them and it just happened to be Beth's place at the time.**

**Once Beth had left Carol walked over and held out the pants. "Now are you going to tell me what this is all about?" she asked.**

**"No," Daryl said simply.**

**"But..." Carol started.**

**"Just drop it," he replied, an edginess in his voice that he hadn't used with her in a long time. Carol couldn't hide her reaction. She didn't want to upset him but his words had stung. "I'm sorry." His voice was softer. "Can you just trust me if I promise I'll tell you eventually?"**

**Carol sighed. He had played the trust card and she would respect it. Trust was an important part of their relationship because it had taken a long time for either of them to trust anyone after what they had gone through in the past. "Fine," she agreed with only the slightest amount of reluctance.**

**"Good. Now can you please put these in my cell so no one else starts asking questions."**

**Carol gave him a look but took the pants and headed to his cell. The desire to search the pockets was overwhelming but Daryl's voice rang in her ears, "Trust me... Trust me... Trust me." She found a half empty drawer in a stand beside his bed and tossed them inside. "Men," she grumbled out loud closing the drawer firmly.**

While Carol was gone Hershel arrived to check on Daryl. "Oh good you're awake how's the pain?" he asked.

"Hurts like a mother fu..." Daryl caught himself in time and let his voice trail off out of respect.

"I have a few pain meds left still. I'll go get them."

Daryl stopped him, "Nah, save em for someone who needs them. I'll survive."

Hershel nodded and pulled up a chair beside him. "I need you to listen to me Daryl," he said seriously. "Your leg was bad. I've done the best I can but the only way it's going to heal is if you take it easy for at least 6 weeks."

"6 weeks? Are you shittin me?" Daryl forgot to watch his potty mouth this time. "There's no way in hell I can sit around for 6 weeks. There's shit that has to be done."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, unless you want to end up like me." Hershel paused then added with a smile, "It was hard enough to find one prosthetic." Daryl didn't reply and even the joke didn't elicit a smile. He stared at Hershel with a scowl. Hershel continued. "There are going to be a lot of things you can't do on your own, especially at first. Getting in and out of bed, bathing, going to the bathroom..."

A look of horror crossed Daryl's face, followed by a reddening of the cheeks. "Aw fuck no," he muttered.

Daryl hadn't even noticed that Carol had returned until Hershel glanced in her direction. "I have asked Carol to help out."

Daryl shook his head, "no way!" He looked over at her and the redness in his cheeks deepened. "I'll figure it out myself," he insisted. "I always have."

He watched as Carol and Hershel exchanged a glance. "Daryl please, you have to let me help, there's no one else. With you hurt we need Rick,Glenn, Maggie, Tyreese, and Michonne to work even harder. You know it's too much for Hershel."

Daryl didn't want help from any of them. He glared at her, "No way," he said again.

Carol's face changed and Daryl certainly wasn't prepared for what came next. She stomped up to his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "you are going to listen to me." It was a tone of voice he had never heard and Daryl found himself listening. "You cannot do this alone. Like it or not you've got me. So suck it up princess, you're stuck with me for the next 6 to 8 weeks!" He heard Hershel snort and shot him a look.

He knew Carol was stubborn, maybe even more stubborn than he was. She wasn't backing down and Daryl wasn't ready to give in but he found himself suddenly way too tired to fight. "Can we get me to my own damn bed somehow?" he asked, changing the subject while trying to fight off a yawn.

"I'll go find us some help," Hershel said.

When he was gone Carol turned to him. "It's really not going to be that bad," she said gently.

"Easy for you to say." Daryl looked at her as he replied. Looking into her eyes always calmed him and even then, with everything, he still felt a little calmer just by looking at her.

Hershel arrived with Rick and Tyreese and after some awkward maneuvering and a blinding amount of pain Daryl was finally in his own bed.

Daryl pulled the blanket over himself. He was wearing nothing but boxers on the bottom and was feeling quite exposed.

The guys left and only Carol remained. She pointed to the drawer beside his bed, silently acknowledging where she had put the pants.

"I'll be back soon, try to get some rest," she said. Daryl watched as she went to leave, then came back to straighten his blankets. Once she seemed satisfied that he was securely tucked in she left.

As soon as she was gone he reached for the drawer. The movement sent a wave of pain coursing through his entire leg but he persisted until he had the pants out. He reached in the pocket and smiled when he found what he was looking for still there. He had some work to do, but Daryl was sure it was going to turn out perfectly. He placed the object back into the drawer and closed it again.

Daryl tossed the jeans towards the corner of his cell just as Carol entered once again, "oh," she said, jumping in surprise and dropping the large piece of foam she had been carrying. Daryl noticed there were still blankets tucked under her arm.

"What's going on?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Surprise!" Carol said with a big smile. "I'm moving in Roomie."

"Ah naw. That is not happening."

Carol rolled her eyes, "It's not up for discussion." She picked up the foam and started to make room for it on the floor.

"Seriously, you can't sleep here," Daryl tried again.

Carol continued to prepare her bed. "And what if you need something in the middle of the night? Gonna get up and walk?" she shot him a look. Daryl growled in frustration, mostly because he knew she was right. Carol paused, titled her head and looked at him. "You look like crap. Get some sleep."

Carol was bending over fixing her blankets and Daryl couldn't help but stare at her ass. "Fuck," he thought, closing his eyes. When he opened them again she was taking off her boots and socks. Daryl closed his eyes again wondering how he could be so turned on by her taking off her fucking boots. Thankfully when he opened his eyes again she was safely tucked into her bed.

Carol looked up at him from her spot on the floor. "I'm even going to put up with your snoring 'cause I care that much about you," she teased, laughing when she made him blush as usual. "Night Daryl."

He waited a minute to reply. "Carol," he paused. "I have to piss."


	3. Chapter 3

When Carol returned from emptying the urinal Daryl was already fast asleep. She walked over and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen over his eye, exposing a little more of his forehead. Instinctively, she leaned down a placed a gentle kiss, right in the centre. He stirred slightly but didn't wake up.

Carol backed away silently and crawled into her bed on the floor. The foam was comfortable and she made a mental note to add it to her prison bed in her own cell when she moved back there.

She felt extremely tired. The stress and worry of the days events had taken their toll. If she could only get her mind to shut off Carol knew she would be asleep instantly. But how could she just lay down and forget all the terror she had felt only a few hours earlier? And that conversation with Michonne? If she had noticed that Carol had a special way of looking at Daryl, chances are that others did too. And chances are that it had a lot to do with why Hershel had asked her to be the one to look after Daryl. Carol hadn't even admitted to herself that she felt something more for him, yet others were already pointing it out, which was extremely unnerving.

Then there was the fact that she and Daryl were about to get pretty intimate, pretty fast. As much as she played it cool for Daryl's benefit she was every bit as uncomfortable as he was, if not more. She had already seen more of his body exposed today than she had in all the time she had known him. Even now, he was covered with blankets but she knew underneath there was only boxers. And at some point he was going to need to change those boxers. Carol felt her face burning at the thought but at the same time something stirred inside her, a feeling she hadn't felt in quite some time.

"Getting yourself all horny is not going to help you sleep," she scalded herself silently.

Carol took a deep breath and sat up. She decided to try something she hadn't done since before she lost Sophia. Carol moved to the side of her bed, knelt on the cold floor, bowed her head and prayed. "Dear lord, my faith in you is tested every day. And to be honest I really had given up hope that you were still watching out for us. But even with all the bad things that have happened I must remember the good ones and know that you had a hand in those. We found a safe place to live, we were able to save Hershel, somehow Daryl found me, and a beautiful baby girl was brought into the world. Those are good things and I thank you for them. And today, even though it could have been really bad, you brought Daryl back to me. And for that I am thankful." Carol paused her thoughts, deciding if there was anything else she wanted to say. There was one more thing, "Please hug my baby girl and tell her that I miss her every day with all my heart. Mommy loves you Sophia, Amen."

Carol wiped a tear as she got back into bed. She had forgotten how good it felt to cleanse your soul and found that she relaxed immediately. With thoughts of Sophia she finally drifted off to sleep.

But it wasn't the peaceful sleep she had hoped for. Having Sophia lingering in her subconscious triggered terrible nightmares. Carol loathed the fact that she couldn't think about her daughter without the nightmares returning. She wished she could think about Sophia and have beautiful dreams about happier times they had shared. Carol awoke angry from the second nightmare and vowed to just stay awake the rest of the night. But exhaustion took over and soon she found herself nodding off again.

This time the dream wasn't about Sophia it was about Ed. He was alive and he came back to the prison. When he saw her with Daryl he went on a jealous rampage ending up with a gun to Daryl's head. Carol tossed back and forth, finally crying out in her sleep as Ed was about to pull the trigger. "NO!" she screamed.

Carol woke trembling to someone calling her name. "Carol, Carol, wake up, are you ok?" When her head cleared she realized it was Daryl calling her and she had just had yet another bad dream.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she apologized.

He looked concerned, "Don't worry about me, are you okay?"

Carol shook her head, "I've been having bad dreams all night, terrible nightmares like I had right after Sophia died."

Daryl was quiet for a minute then spoke gently, "C'mere." Carol looked at him, confused. "Just get up here before I change my mind." Carol stood and hesitantly made her way towards him. Other than a few fleeting touches and the time he carried her, Daryl had never offered any type of intimate contact. "You'll have to climb over," he said, stating the obvious. Carol carefully climbed over him, making sure not to touch his right leg. He lifted the blanket so she could slide underneath and repositioned his arm to allow her to lay comfortably against him. The prison beds were small so they had to be pressed tightly against each other to both fit.

"Am I hurting you?" Carol asked.

"Nah but you're little ice cube feet are a nice distraction from the pain in my leg," he joked.

Carol laughed, "Sorry," she said, not truly meaning it as she put the bottom of her foot flat against the top of his, enjoying the warmth. In fact, he was quite warm all over and she relaxed soaking up the heat. Her hand was resting on his chest and she could feel his heart beating. It was incredibly calming and Carol found herself yawning.

Daryl noticed, "Good, now go to sleep." Carol obeyed.

1-1-1-1-1

Carol was still shaking when she had got in bed with him and Daryl realized when the trembling stopped almost immediately that he had made the right decision. He had made the right decision for her, at least. He still remembered when he was a boy, when his mom was still alive, going into her room after having a bad dream. She would let him climb in bed with her if his dad wasn't home, which was more often than not. The times his dad was there she would take his hand and go back to his bed. Just feeling the warmth of someone who cared about him was all Daryl needed to forget the dreams and go back to sleep.

He hoped it would be the same for Carol. It bothered him to see her upset and he wanted, no, he needed, to make her feel better. Daryl wondered how many nights she had been alone in her cell to deal with the aftermath of her nightmares alone? At least this one time she didn't have to. And so far it seemed to be working just fine. Carol was snuggled up against him, fast asleep.

That's when he finally realized that Carol was just that, snuggled up against him. He wasn't sure what she normally wore to bed but tonight she was sleeping in the pants and tank top she had wore that day. No wait, he realized, she had changed the top. The one she had on earlier was a darker color. But it was still thin, and in certain places it was the only thing between his skin and hers.

"Fuck, this was a terrible idea," Daryl thought. He softened when he looked at her again, so peaceful. Life since the start of the apocalypse had been all about survival. Sure, he was still a guy and jerked off when he needed to but he honestly hadn't spent much time thinking about sex. "You think about it and then you want it" had been his motto so he made sure he was way too busy to think. But now here he was with a broken leg and he wouldn't be busy, not for a long time. And he somehow had decided that it was a good idea to have a woman in bed with him? A beautiful woman that he cared a lot about. His dick thought it was a good idea, that was for sure.

Carol shifted slightly in her sleep and he felt her breasts press even tighter against his body. The hand on his chest moved, just a fraction, but it was enough to cause a pounding in his heart and a tightening in his groin. Carol sighed softly and there was no denying it, he had a full blown hard on at that point.

Daryl knew he couldn't masterbate with her lying against him. Or could he? "Don't be an asshole," he scalded himself silently. He somehow had to find a way to tame the wild beast before it was too late. Daryl did the only possible thing he could think of, he moved his leg.

The pain was like nothing he had felt before. Daryl had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from crying out. "Jesus mother fucking Christ," he thought, screaming in his head. The pain eased slightly but not before the nausea hit. Daryl gulped in deep breaths to keep himself from puking. The last thing on his mind was his dick.

By the time the pain was almost gone he realized it had worked. The large tent of blankets was gone and things inside his boxers had settled down nicely. "Who needs a cold shower," he thought.

Now, Daryl realized, if he could get to sleep before Carol caressed his chest again he might actually survive. He focussed on the tingling in his arm. It had fallen asleep under Carol's weight. It was just the right amount of uncomfortable to distract him, but not enough to keep him awake. Before long he was snoring softly.

Daryl woke the next morning with a start as someone called his name. "Hey, you decent in there?"

It was Michonne. "Uh, yeah," he stammered, at a loss for words as Carol woke beside him. It was too late, Michonne had already pulled back the curtain and stepped inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Carol woke when she heard voices. She propped herself up on one elbow and rubbed at her tired eyes with the other hand. She glanced quickly at Daryl when she realized it was Michonne's voice she heard. He looked completely panicked as she entered the cell.

The look on Michonne's face almost made Carol laugh out loud. She immediately closed her eyes, turned around and started to leave. With Daryl still at a loss for words Carol had to be the one to stop her. "Hey, wait. Don't go." Carol scrambled out of bed, careful not to touch Daryl's leg. Michonne stopped but didn't turn around. Daryl had already pulled the blankets back over himself. "It's okay, you can turn around." Michonne slowly turned and looked a lot more relaxed when she realized Carol was fully dressed. But Carol certainly didn't miss the "I told you so" look that Michonne shot her with a grin. "It's not..." Carol started to explain then decided it was probably better to just move on.

"I need to go change and freshen up. Can you stay for a bit?" she asked Michonne.

"Sure," she replied.

Carol took a quick second to put on her socks and boots while Daryl and Michonne silently watched. When she was finished she stood and glanced at the two of them. She knew Daryl was in for some serious teasing and she almost felt bad for him. Almost. Carol tried to hide her smile as she ducked out of the cell with a wave.

Once she had changed and brushed her teeth Carol went to look for breakfast. It wasn't her shower day so she missed out on that luxury. When she noticed it was Daryl's day and that he certainly wouldn't be partaking in a full on shower she considered it, but her belly started grumbling and she realized it had been a long time since either her or Daryl had eaten anything.

Since Carol was usually the one that cooked for everyone she had a good sense of what people ate. They didn't have a lot of choice but she knew there were still certain things certain people avoided. Daryl was easy, he ate pretty much everything except mushrooms. Michonne was a bit pickier but Carol was able to scrounge up a few things they all liked.

She tried her best to get back quickly but by that point everyone knew she was Daryl's nurse, so to speak, and they all wanted to know how Mr. Popularity was doing. Carol was sure she had told the same story at least a dozen times. "Geez, I should have just called a press conference," she thought. Her stomach grumbled again. "Enough of this," she muttered. Putting her head down and avoiding eye contact Carol moved quickly away from the busier parts of the prison and headed to Daryl's cell.

1-1-1-1-1

"You two sure looked cozy," Michonne teased when Carol was out of ear shot.

"Stop," Daryl shot her a look. "She was having nightmares." Michonne smirked. "And keeping me awake," he added, trying anything he could think of to justify how she had found them.

Michonne wasn't ready to let up. "I bet you both slept way better all snuggled up." Daryl felt his cheeks get hot remembering the difficult situation he had found himself in with Carol pressed against him. The blush deepened as he started to relive the moment in his mind. "Did you need some time alone?" she asked, snapping him out of the daydream.

Daryl grabbed the only thing he could reach and threw it at Michonne. She laughed as she dodged the empty plastic cup and it bounced off the wall and rattled onto the floor. "You throw like a girl."

"Next time it'll be a bolt," he joked, "and I never miss."

They shared a laugh and finally Michonne got serious. "How are you feeling anyway?"

"Fine, unless I move."

Michonne's voice softened, "your leg will be fine. It's your head I'm worried about. People like us don't sit still. I about went crazy with a twisted ankle, I can't imagine..." Her voice trailed off. Daryl knew she wasn't trying to make him feel worse but she was doing a damn good job of it.

"I'm going on a quick run this afternoon with Tyreese," she said, changing the subject. "Is there anything you need?" Daryl gave her a glare and Michonne's face fell. "Shit, I'm making things worse."

Daryl sighed and shook his head. "It's not your fault. I'm going to have to get used to it I guess. But knowing you guys are off on a run while I'm stuck here... Just be safe, ok?" He saw the wounded pride on her face and continued, "I know you can take care of yourself but that big lug almost got himself killed a time or two..."

"Yet he survived," Michonne interrupted.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Hey did Glenn put my bike away properly?"

"I guess."

"You guess? Fuck, I need to get out there and make sure it's not going to tip over or somethin'."

"I'll go check it now," Michonne said, rolling her eyes. "We are leaving soon anyway. "

Carol walked in at that moment, "I brought breakfast, you need to eat before you go anywhere."

Daryl smirked at the look on Michonne's face. By now he was used to Carol's mother hen attitude when it came to meals. But he remembered the exact same look on his own face, not all that long ago. He hoped Michonne was smart enough not to argue like he had because Carol was incredibly stubborn and arguing was just a huge waste of time.

Carol fixed her gaze on Michonne and held out her plate. "Yep, she's way smarter than me," Daryl thought as Michonne took the plate and started eating. After a few bites she looked at Carol, "Thanks, I didn't realize how hungry I was."

Daryl felt his own stomach grumble and he couldn't wait to devour his own breakfast. He didn't care what it was, Carol hadn't made anything yet that he didn't like. She set down both their plates on the night stand and grabbed extra pillows to prop him up. Michonne set down her plate as well to help and by the time they were done fussing he was thoroughly embarrassed. Carol reached over to fix something, "enough," he said sharply. "it's fine. Now give me my damn breakfast."

Carol and Michonne exchanged a look as Carol handed him his plate. He took a huge bite and started to chew angrily. "On that note, I'm out of here," Michonne said with a hint of sarcasm. She looked at Carol "Good luck," she laughed and they shared a smile that made him even angrier.

His glare bore into Michonne's back until she disappeared. Carol was staring at him with a smile on her face. "Don't look at me like that," he grumbled.

"Geeze, how does someone who's still in bed get up on the wrong side?" she teased.

Daryl refocussed the glare onto Carol but when he looked at her still grinning, a sparkle in her blue eyes, his anger faded quickly. "Did you bring me a drink?" he deflected.

Carol reached into the side pocket of her cargo pants and pulled out a juice box. She paused and was about to put the straw in for him but thought better of it and handed everything to him.

They ate in silence for a while before Daryl spoke. "You were gone a while?" he stated in the form of a question.

"Yes, I would have been back sooner if not for the Daryl Dixon medical update press conference I held." Daryl blushed. She smiled at him and continued. "I actually have a couple more things I have to grab. I'll be back in a few minutes."

With Carol gone Daryl opened the drawer and felt inside. His fingers connected with what he was searching for and he pulled it out. Daryl held the chain up to examine it. The gold sparkled even in the dim light of the cell. Once he had reconfirmed that it was exactly what he had been looking for Daryl put it back. He wondered when he would get some time alone to start working on his idea? Maybe later that afternoon he would tell Carol he needed a nap and hope she wouldn't hover.

He had to admit that he was glad it was her looking after him. He couldn't think of anyone else in the group that he could imagine spending so much time with. Carol understood him in a way that no one else did and Daryl was pretty sure no one else ever would. Even when they argued or she made him angry it didn't take long to realize she was right or she had done things with only the best of intentions. He had never met anyone as selfless as Carol. Everyone else came first.

Daryl flipped off his blanket and was looking at his cast when Carol returned. She had a bunch of things including a tooth brush, towels and a basin of water. He thought about covering back up but he got the feeling that there was no point.

Carol set everything down and looked at him. Daryl let his own eyes follow her gaze. His bare leg was smeared with blood, as was his underwear. There were smears on his chest as well and without looking in a mirror he knew his face was dirty. She drew a cloth out of the water and wrung it out. "You start with your face and anywhere you can reach and then I'll get the rest."

Daryl took the cloth. He knew she was trying to spare him as much embarrassment as possible but he also knew a great deal of embarrassment was inevitable on his end. He obediently scrubbed his face, neck, arms, and chest while she watched, allowing her to rinse the cloth a few times in between. Daryl was determined to do most, if not all of the washing himself but as soon as he tried to reach for his left leg the pain on the right side flattened him. "Ok, you're done," Carol said reaching for the cloth.

"It's just a leg," he told himself. But as soon as she touched him with the cloth she might as well have been washing his testicles. Daryl felt his whole body stiffen, including parts he really needed to stay soft right then. As she washed his leg he closed his eyes and tried to focus on dead kittens and scenes of torture but the most gruesome thoughts didn't come close to the torture of trying to keep himself in check.

That's when a miracle happened. Carol tried to wash his foot and it tickled. Daryl's eyes shot open and he pulled his foot away. Carol jumped with surprise and then laughed when she realized what was going on. "Just give it back for a second, I'm almost done." By the time she had finished they were both laughing and Daryl had relaxed.

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Carol was impressed at how remarkably well the bathing had gone. She had expected more resistance from Daryl. But she knew the next step was going to be a lot more difficult. The blood stained boxers needed to be changed.

She was afraid to mention it before she was fully prepared to begin so Carol pulled open his top dresser drawer and found what she was looking for. "Ah, hell no," Daryl said, when he realized what she was grabbing.

"Just relax for a minute, I have to fix these first anyway." Carol had brought scissors and a sewing kit and she immediately went to work. She had recognized that there was no way Daryl's casted leg was going to fit through the leg hole so she cut the boxers down one side and was attaching buttons to do them back up. Carol had done a lot of sewing in the past so it didn't take her long to have them ready. Even so, Daryl spoke up several times voicing his displeasure regarding what she had planned. Carol ignored him and kept working.

When she was ready to begin she finally paid him some attention. "Come on, the underwear you have on are filthy. And quite honestly, you could probably use some bathing underneath them too." Daryl looked completely mortified at her statement so Carol added, "but that can wait. For now, let's just get them changed."

Daryl crossed his arms and looked at her defiantly. "No," he said simply.

Carol rolled her eyes and groaned. "You are acting like a child." When she realized she wasn't getting anywhere she sighed and attempted a different approach, honesty. "Look, do you think this is easy for me? Because it's not. I'm every bit as embarrassed as you are."

Daryl snorted, "Doubt it."

Carol stared at him, arms still crossed, a scowl on his face, and realized they could be at a stalemate for the time being. That's when she had an idea. A really really stupid idea, that she hoped just might work. With Daryl still glaring at her she kicked off her boots, pulled her shirt over her head and started to unbutton her pants...

I am so sorry! Don't hate! I'll do my best to have another chapter ready ASAP!


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl watched Carol kick off her boots and wondered what she was doing. The moment when her shirt came off though, he momentarily lost all ability to formulate coherent thoughts. But that didn't stop the little Angel and little Devil on Dary's shoulders from having one hell of a battle of conscience:

"Holy fuck, look at those titties! I hope she loses the bra soon!"

"Dude, it's Carol, don't look. Close your eyes."

"Mmm hmm, wouldn't you like to squeeze those boobies? See what they feel like in your hands?"

"You can't squeeze those Boobies. Carol, remember? Your FRIEND Carol."

"I bet you had no idea what a sweet bod she had under those clothes. Fuckin show us more!"

"You better speak up now. If you don't stop her soon you're going to see a lot more than her bra."

"Stop her? Are you crazy? Let's see her ass! And get a good look at that pu..."

Daryl cut off the devil in his mind and spoke, "Jesus Christ Carol, stop!" She paused and looked at him wide eyed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make this easier for you," she stated and undid her fly.

Daryl caught a quick glimpse of black panties before he forced himself to close his eyes. "Put your clothes back on, now!" he demanded. "We obviously need to talk and it'll be much easier with you fully clothed." He waited for a moment then opened one eye to peek. She was pulling her shirt back on and Daryl sighed with relief that she had actually listened and let him win, for once.

When Carol was dressed again she stood there staring at him, one hand on her hip. He narrowed his eyes and spoke, trying to stay as calm as he could, "how the fuck could you possibly think that you being naked was going to help this situation?"

Her cheeks went pink as his words hit her. Daryl had no idea what was going on in her mind, but he couldn't wait to find out. "I guess it was a stupid idea but I just thought..." she looked unsure but continued, "well, I thought you were nervous about me seeing you naked so I just figured, I mean I thought it would help maybe, if I just went first, ya know?"

Daryl suddenly felt guilty for speaking to her so harshly. Carol had never seemed unsure of herself or her decisions around him and he hated that he was making her feel that way. He had to admit that her idea sorta made sense, if it was only the fact she was going to see him naked that was the problem. But there was more, and obviously her girl mind wasn't cluing in to the rest of the equation. Daryl once again found himself puzzled by how differently men and women think.

"Oh fuck," he muttered out loud, wondering how he was going to explain everything to her without leaving them both incredibly embarrassed. But Daryl knew that he owed her an explanation considering she was going to strip to try and make him feel better. When he thought about the irony he started to smile.

"What's going on? Why are you smiling like that?" Carol asked, confused.

"Oh man, okay..." Daryl tried to compose his thoughts. "So you're a woman," he started. Carol was staring at him like he'd lost his mind. "and I am a very very straight kinda guy." She still looked puzzled so he continued, "what do you think looking at a naked woman might do to a guy?"

He posed the question and immediately saw the light bulb go on for Carol. "Oh, that..." she said, blushing again. "I never thought of that."

"So it's a lot more than just seeing me naked that I'm concerned about," Daryl said.

"But if I'm dressed that it shouldn't be an issue right?" she asked. Daryl shook his head. "No? But why?" she asked.

"Oh my God, you really don't get it?" Daryl knew she was incredibly smart but at that moment he couldn't believe how naive she was.

1-1-1-1-1-1

Carol was not ready to let herself believe that Daryl could be so easily aroused in her presence. It just made everything even more complicated. But she was also inadvertently forcing him to admit it, which in itself was awkward for both of them.

"You understand it's been a long time since I've been with a woman," Daryl started to explain, turning red.

Finally Carol had to let herself give in, "Ok, ok I get it. I understand how male parts work and I do actually understand how guys think, well some guys." She took a deep breath, "I just didn't think that you, ya know, went there with me."

Daryl looked at her and smiled shyly, "do we need to go back to the part where I said you're a woman?"

Carol laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, I get it!" She picked up the boxers she had prepared and held them up, "so how are we going to do this then?" She was feeling a lot better about the situation, even if they hadn't really resolved anything yet. But she was comfortable enough to tease him, "you know, you could just let me see everything and get it over with!" Daryl turned beet red. "It's not the first one I've seen ya know." Even redder. "I am a very very straight woman." Finally a smile.

"Stop," he said. It was his usual response to her teasing and it made Carol feel like they were back to normal, as close as possible anyway.

"Ok seriously, let's just do this. I bet once it's over we will both realize it wasn't that bad," Carol said confidently. Daryl didn't respond and she could tell he wasn't convinced. "Well what if I closed my eyes?" It took a bit more convincing and her explaining exactly what she was going to do for him to agree but finally he gave in.

Within 5 minutes it was done. The hardest part was trying to get the new underwear underneath him but they managed. Carol had closed her eyes for as much of the process as she could. She was pleased with the buttons she had sewn on, they worked perfectly. Once they were done up the job was finished and she pulled Daryl's blankets back over him. "See, I told you it wouldn't be that bad," she said triumphantly.

As hard as she tried not to look she had snuck a peek at his crotch area when she was doing up the buttons but she was pretty sure everything was normal. Carol was disappointed for a second but her rational side took over and she was relieved. She hoped it would make things much easier in the future. Carol knew there were far more difficult things to come. Eventually he would need to go to the bathroom, not just pee, and they would have to clean under the boxers soon too. Those would be huge challenges for them both.

Carol had just got him comfortably propped up again when the visitors started arriving. Glenn and Maggie came first. Carol and Maggie chatted while listening to Daryl drill Glenn on whether or not his bike had indeed been put away properly. As they were leaving Daryl was still calling last minute instructions to Glenn.

Not long after that Carl and Beth came, followed by Rick a few minutes later. When Rick arrived Carol asked the kids if they would help her make lunch and they left to do that so Rick and Daryl could catch up.

When Carol returned with lunch for her and Daryl Rick was still there. "Carl has a plate for you, but I can go get it and bring it here if you want?" she offered.

Rick shook his head, "No that's fine, I was just about to head out."

1-1-1-1-1-1

They were just finishing up lunch when Hershel arrived to check on Daryl. He examined the leg wound first. "Looks pretty good," he said. "No signs of infection." He reached out and put a hand on Daryl's forehead, "Hmm, you do feel a bit warm." He looked at Carol, "if he gets warmer come get me, he may need antibiotics after all."

Daryl was still hating the fuss being made over him. "I'll be fine," he said.

"Oh I'm sure you will," Hershel smiled. "Keep an eye on that fever," he said to Carol and left.

The rest of the afternoon was much the same. People would come and go, Carol hung around most of the time, but sometimes she would leave. He assumed it was to give him time alone with certain visitors, or maybe she just needed a break, but he always found himself feeling happy when she returned.

He was also happy when Michonne returned and informed him that she was safe and Tyreese had not even come close to getting eaten by walkers on their run. Daryl knew that those people who went on runs were always trying to find something to bring back for others. He did it all the time. Often he brought stuff for Carol, sometime Beth, the younger kids that had arrived from Woodbury. It was a nice feeling to make someone smile. So he wasn't at all surprised when Michonne handed him about 20 bolts.

"I knew you were getting low," she said with a grin.

"Where did you find these?" he asked, impressed.

"In a house. Must have been hunters because we also brought back 3 shotguns, 2 rifles, and a bunch of ammo."

Daryl thanked her and they chatted for a bit before she said goodnight and left. It was getting late, likely time to call it a night. Carol was laying on top her bed reading a book. "You tired?" he asked.

"Gettin there," she replied with a yawn. "Yeah, I guess I am," she laughed. Carol stood up and came over to check his forehead. Her hand felt like ice. She looked concerned. "Maybe I should go get Hershel, you do feel warm."

"I'm fine. I'll see Hershel in the morning," Daryl argued. "I'm tired. Let's just go to sleep."

"Ok," she agreed reluctantly. "Are you comfortable?" Daryl nodded. "Good. Now close your eyes so I can get ready for bed."

"Here we go again," he thought closing his eyes, the image of her earlier in her bra and the little peek of black panties came flooding back.

Thankfully she was quick before his imagination could run wild. But unfortunately for him, her choice of clothing had his mind wandering once again. She was wearing a pair of tight black capris and a pink tank top and Daryl was certain the bra was not underneath.

"Night," she said cheerfully as she climbed into bed.

"Night," Daryl replied closing his eyes. He really was tired and fell asleep right away. But the dream he had was no surprise considering the day's events.

Daryl woke as Carol climbed into his bed. "I had a bad dream again," she said huskily. He moved and allowed her to get comfortable, like she had the night before.

She was cold and he could feel her nipples touching him through her shirt. His cock responded immediately.

"Mmm, you're so warm," she purred, pressing her body against his. Her hand was rubbing his chest and Daryl's heart started to pound wildly. He stopped breathing as her hand moved lower, and lower, and settled just below his belly button. "What the fuck is she doing?" he wondered, not wanting her to stop.

She granted his wish as she slid a hand inside his underwear. "If you won't let me see it, I'll just feel it." And the next thing he knew her hand was wrapped around his cock.

She was stroking him gently, slowly, and Daryl couldn't ask her to stop, even if he wanted to. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. He could barely see.

He felt her pull down his boxers and his dick sprung free. He saw her smile before she sat up and repositioned herself taking the tip of his penis in her mouth, at that point he was done. He was blind, deaf, mute, and the only thing he could focus on was how amazing it felt to have her sucking him off.

Daryl groaned and suddenly someone was shaking him. "Wake up. Daryl, are you ok?" Carol's hand was on his forehead. "Oh my God you're burning up."

Her face was close and her lips were only inches from his. Daryl reached for the back of her neck and pulled her down until their lips met. Carol didn't resist as he started to kiss her.


	6. Chapter 6

Carol let the kiss continue for longer than she should have for a few reasons. One was because it felt really good, another because she was caught completely off guard, and lastly because she couldn't remember ever being kissed like that before, not with the intensity Daryl was kissing her with.

When he tried to slip his tongue in her mouth Carol reluctantly pulled away. Her reluctance disappeared immediately though, when she remember his fever. She touched his head again and felt sick to her stomach. He was on fire.

Carol thought that Daryl really hadn't noticed when the kiss ended and she hoped he wouldn't even remember it once he was feeling better. She realized she was wrong though when he spoke, "mmm Carol? Why did you stop?" Apparently his reactions were just delayed.

He was looking at her with sleepy eyes and a goofy grin on his face. "I thought that's what you wanted?"

Carol knelt down beside his bed and stroked the hair back off his forehead. "Daryl, sweetie, you have a really high fever and I need to go find Hershel."

She stood to leave but he pulled her back, "No, no, don't go. I don't want to kiss Hershel, I want to kiss you."

If Carol wasn't so worried she might have laughed. But he was obviously delirious and he needed a doctor. She hoped playing along might help release the death grip on her hand. "Ok baby," she said, gently kissing his forehead. "Just let me go freshen up, be right back."

"Ok," he agreed, releasing her hand. She heard him sigh softly as she took off to find Hershel.

Carol ran to Hershel's cell and quietly woke him. She didn't want to disturb the others. "You have to come quick, Daryl's fever is way worse and he's not acting like himself."

Hershel sat up quickly, "ok I'll get ready and head straight to him. You need to go get supplies for me. I need antibiotics and an IV drip. Bring those to me first and then go get some lukewarm water and a cloth to bathe him down. We have to break the fever or he could have a seizure."

Without a word Carol took off. She knew where all the medical supplies were stored from the times she had helped Hershel in the past. She found what he had asked for and took off running again. Hershel had just arrived at Daryl's cell as she slipped in behind him. She set down the supplies and left again, returning with the water and a cloth.

Carol looked at Daryl. He was covered up with blankets and shivering. "We need to bathe him first, try and get the fever down." Carol made a move to start but Hershel stopped her. "He's out of it, and he's not going to like it when we touch him with that cloth. We need someone to hold him down." Hershel looked at his watch, "Rick should still be out on guard but Tyreese... yeah, go get Tyreese, we're going to need his help."

Carol returned with Tyreese and Karen. She hadn't realized they were staying in the same cell and was a bit embarrassed when she found them lying together in bed. Carol had apologized but they clearly understood. Karen offered to come and stay outside the cell out of the way so she could go get anything they might need.

When they were ready Carol pulled back the covers, watching as Daryl shivered violently. Tyreese got in place and gave Carol a nod to begin. She tried talking to him first but he didn't respond so she went ahead and put the cloth on his forehead. Daryl's eyes flew open and he started to struggle but Tyreese held him down. Carol kept trying to reassure him as she quickly moved the cloth over his face, chest and arms. Hershel took the cloth to re-wet it and Carol put her hands on Daryl's cheeks, "it's okay, we're trying to help you," she said, forcing Daryl to look at her. Hershel handed her back the cloth and she reached for it, leaving the other hand on Daryl's warm face. "Hey, hey, focus on me," she moved her head to maintain eye contact. "You have a fever and we need to cool you down," she explained. Carol held up the cloth and slowly moved it to his face. He had quit struggling but shivered violently again as she wiped his face. She moved down his chest and Tyreese shifted so she could get Daryl's bare leg.

There were a few more moments of struggle but between Tyreese holding him and Carol's soothing words they were able to bathe him a few times and Carol thought he did seem a lot cooler. By the time they were finished Daryl had snapped out of it too. He was back to kicking up his usual fuss when people paid too much attention to him. Carol overheard him talking to Hershel as she was saying thanks and goodnight to Tyreese and Karen, "Do I really need the IV? Can't I just take some pills or somethin'?"

Carol stepped outside the cell with Tyreese. "Before you go, were you able to find a wheelchair?" Carol asked. She had asked Michonne to look for one on the run so she could get Daryl out of his cell, sooner rather than later. The cast unfortunately was not going to allow him to use crutches.

Tyreese smiled, "We did, it's outside in storage for now. Just let me know when he's ready for it and I'll bring it."

Carol hugged him and then Karen, "thank you both, for everything. Now go get some sleep."

Hershel was just finishing up the IV when Carol entered. He gave her a few instructions and said he would come back in the morning, only a few hours away by that point. He left and they were alone.

Carol sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at Daryl. "You scared me," she said softly.

He met her eyes, "sorry."

"Ok, but don't do it ever again," she warned with a tiny smile. Daryl nodded in response. She stood up and moved to her own bed.

"Carol?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he said simply.

Carol closed her eyes with a smile on her face, "Welcome."

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

The IV in Daryl's hand was annoying and he woke up feeling grumpy. Carol was already awake, drinking a steaming cup of coffee while sitting cross-legged on her bed. "Morning," she said cheerfully when she noticed he was awake.

"Morning," he replied through a yawn. His mind was cloudy and he could only remember bits and pieces of the night before. He remembered having a smoking hot dream and then kissing Carol. His eyes widened, "why the fuck was I kissing Carol?" he thought, looking at her for signs that might answer his question. "Maybe it was part of the dream, yeah that's it, it didn't really happen," Daryl tried to convince himself.

He still wasn't sure and needed to find out. "So I don't remember much about last night," he began. "Did anything happen, anything I should know about?"

She hesitated with her answer and Daryl had a sinking feeling he hadn't dreamt that kiss. "Well you had a fever, I had to get Hershel and Tyreese to help out, we bathed you and Hershel put in that IV," Carol paused. "That's about it." Daryl breathed a sigh of relief a moment too soon. "Oh and you kissed me," she added quickly, with an apologetic look.

Daryl felt his cheeks get warm, "Oh no, I... I thought so." He looked down and then up to meet her eyes, "I'm sorry?" he said, not entirely sure if he was supposed to apologize or not.

"It's fine," she shrugged, brushing it off. After a moment of awkward silence she added, "I'm sure you thought you were kissing your sister or something." She was obviously still trying to play it cool, saying the first thing that came to mind, as ridiculous as it sounded.

"I don't have a sister and if I did, I sure as hell hope I wouldn't be kissing her like that," he muttered, not helping the situation for either of them. "I know she kissed me back," he thought. "If it wasn't a dream, if it was real, I remember everything about that kiss and she kissed me back." He thought about the feel of her lips on his, her full soft lips, and how amazing they felt. Carol's voice interrupted him.

"Well let's just chalk it up to the fever and forget it happened," she suggested. Daryl thought he saw a sadness in her face as she said it, but it was quickly replaced with one of her beautiful smiles. One of those smiles always made him feel lucky to have her in his life.

"Ok," he agreed since that seemed to be what she wanted. Daryl knew he wasn't going to forget about it anytime soon though. "So when do I get this thing out?" he asked, holding up his hand, changing the subject.

"Oh, we just have to wait for Hershel to decide if you need another drip or if you can switch to pills." She stood, "He was here earlier but you were sleeping. I was supposed to go find him when you woke up."

Daryl's stomach rumbled but he wasn't hungry. It was time to attempt probably the most embarrassing thing he had ever done in his life. "Um Carol, before you leave, I need to go..." his voice trailed off.

She clued in immediately, as if she had been expecting it. Obviously it had to happen at some point, they both knew that. As much as Daryl had expected to be completely mortified and utterly embarrassed Carol somehow made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. He fucking hated shitting in a bed pan, but it couldn't be helped. She left while he did his business and cleaned him up quickly after. Daryl almost forgot that she had now seen his bare ass, almost but not quite. At no point though, did she do or say anything that made him feel self conscious. Carol would make a great nurse, if the world was ever normal again.

When she left to find Hershel Daryl was alone with his thoughts for a moment. He was certainly glad that was over. The first would always be the worst and considering it wasn't all that bad, he figured it should only get easier. His mind drifted back to the kiss again. "Why can't I stop thinking about it?" he wondered. Daryl knew a huge part of it was because Carol hadn't pulled away immediately. He wanted to know what that meant, if anything at all. He started going through a list of options in his mind: she hasn't kissed anyone in a while, she was caught off guard, curiosity perhaps, didn't want to hurt his feelings. He settled on the last one, she was probably just trying to spare his feelings. "Yeah, that's gotta be it," Daryl told himself.

Hershel returned with a bottle of pills. He checked Darly over and took out the IV when he was satisfied the worst was through. He left Daryl with instructions, handing him the bottle, "3 per day, for 10 days, with food."

"I guess you need food then," Carol said. "Give me about 45 minutes? I want to make a hot breakfast today, it's been a while."

Daryl hoped no one would come and visit while she was gone because he finally had the time he needed to work on his project. He opened the drawer and pulled out the necklace. Then he reached in again and pulled out the piece of Jasper he had found. The necklace had a beautiful piece of purple amethyst attached to it which Daryl planned on removing and replacing with the Jasper. Maybe he would give the amethyst to Beth, she would like that. But right then his focus was on making the necklace perfect. Daryl set to work knowing she was going to love it. He would see that beautiful smile again and know he caused it.


	7. Chapter 7

The morning went smoothly, for the most part. They had breakfast and the usual round of visitors trickled in and out. Daryl seemed to be in a better mood which always made Carol's job easier.

It was a nice surprise when Karen and Tyreese brought them lunch. "Wow, this is fantastic," Carol commented on the soup Karen had made. "You can take over in the kitchen any time!"

After they had left Daryl informed her that the soup wasn't nearly as good as any of the ones she had made. His loyalty was endearing, because Carol knew Karen's soup was pretty damn good.

When most of the visitors had been by for the day, and she was fairly confident they would be alone for a while she decided it was time to let Daryl know about the surprise she had planned.

Carol sauntered over and took a seat on the edge of his bed. "So I have a surprise for you," she started, "but I'm not telling you what it is until you get all cleaned up and dressed." She hoped her plan would work, so Daryl wouldn't fight the cleaning up part. Sometimes bargaining with an adult like they're a big kid could be very effective.

Daryl narrowed his eyes. She could tell he was curious about the surprise part, but would that outweigh his reluctance to let her help him get cleaned up? "How about you tell me what the surprise is and I'll decide after that if I want to get cleaned up?"

Carol shook her head, "Nope, the surprise is your reward, take it or leave it." She could see the wheels turning in his mind. He had to know the cleaning up part was going to happen sooner or later. So why not just do it now when there was something more involved.

He seemed to reach the same conclusion and reluctantly agreed, "Ok but I want to try doing it myself again first."

Carol nodded and went to get water, soap, towels and a cloth. When she returned Daryl looked nervous. "It's going to be fine." He looked skeptical. "Just trust me," she said as she lifted him off his pillow slightly to put a towel under him. Being that close to him again took her straight back to the night before when he had kissed her. She said they were both going to just forget about it, and she was sure Daryl had already, but she wasn't sure she could forget it. She felt her breath catch and her heart started to beat a little faster. "Now is not the time," she told herself, trying to shake the memory away and get on with the task at hand. She made the mistake of looking at Daryl though, and it was a huge mistake. Carol knew him well enough to know he was thinking about exactly the same thing she was.

The position she was in left her very close to his lips once again, and without looking she knew he could probably see right down the front of her shirt. But he wasn't looking there he was looking at her mouth. Carol couldn't move, she knew she needed to, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She licked her lips nervously and heard Daryl make a low groan which left her practically unable to breathe. Three inches and their lips could be touching but neither of them moved. Carol wanted to kiss him so badly but the damn rational thoughts kept fighting their way back into her mind. Was she ready for this? More importantly, was he ready? And what would it mean? Lust? They were both lonely, who wouldn't be after so long?

Daryl shifted and it broke the spell, she was able to move again and quickly stood up. "Ok, let's get started," she said handing him the cloth.

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Daryl had no choice but to shift his body, he had to make more room in his underwear for his dick. The way she was looking at him, then the way she had licked at her lips so innocently, as if she had no idea what she was fucking doing to him. He actually did believe she had no idea, which turned him on even more. He also knew she was still thinking about the kiss and he was pretty sure she wouldn't have opposed him if he kissed her again. But he honestly didn't know what it would mean for either of them, and he wasn't sure if this was the best time to find out. They were stuck together for at least another five and a half weeks. What if he fucked things up and made it completely awkward for her? He didn't want to risk that. Daryl couldn't take the chance that he was wrong. He didn't understand women very well, and as much as he thought he understood Carol, he couldn't risk hurting her. She would have to be the one to make the first move.

So thankfully when he shifted Carol went right back to business. But not before she had helped him work up quite the stiffie. He took the cloth from her and started to wash himself. His face, arms, chest, they were easy and he washed those quickly. When it came time to take off his boxers he was able to undo the one side on his own, but Carol was going to have to help pull them down. She closed her eyes and went to reach for the waistband but brushed her hand over his rock hard penis in the process, "Oh," she exclaimed in surprise, followed by a quick apology. It was barely a brush, but his body responded as if she had stroked him repeatedly, and Daryl had to fight to keep from groaning again. They got the underwear off and Daryl was laying there completely nude, highly aroused. With her eyes still closed she fumbled around and was able to pass him the wash cloth. He was able to wash his groin area on his own, thankfully, though rubbing his penis and testicles certainly wasn't helping the situation.

Daryl tried to wash his leg and he was doing quite well at first but he reached a little too far and cried out in pain. Carol's eyes flew open immediately, "Are you ok?" He saw her eyes widen and her jaw drop when she saw him, all of him, completely nude. She squeezed her eyes shut again and spun around, "Oh my God, I, I am so sorry," she stammered.

Daryl sighed, "My fault. Let's just get this over with." Carol nodded and when she turned around her eyes were closed tight. "Carol, just open your eyes,that didn't work so we might as well forget it."

"No, it's fine, I'll keep them shut this time," she replied.

"Whatever, can we just make it quick though?" Daryl said impatiently. They finished up and finally Daryl was dressed. Carol had sewed buttons on a few more pair of his underwear and had fixed a pair of jeans to fit over his cast. Somewhere along the way things in his pants calmed down, which was a huge relief, even though the damage had already been done.

Not wanting to endure any more awkward moments right away Daryl immediately asked about the surprise. "I'm clean, I'm dressed, now what's my damn surprise?" He hadn't intended to say it sharply and was glad when she didn't take it that way. Daryl was pretty sure she was just thankful for the distraction.

"Be right back." She managed a nervous smile. Daryl watched her go and then allowed himself to smile too. As completely embarrassing as that had been, he had to admit that Carol's reaction was pretty funny. Maybe someday they would laugh about that moment together but for the time being Daryl hoped it wasn't mentioned again.

Carol returned with Rick, Tyreese and a wheelchair. "Surprise!" she said, glowing with excitement. Even if he hadn't already been pleased about the idea of getting to leave his cell the fact that she was so excited was contagious. "Dinner will be ready in the dining hall in half an hour, wanna eat down there?"

"Hell yeah," Daryl replied, as a smile spread across his face.

It was 4 hours later before he and Carol finally returned to the cell. Rick came along as well to help get him in bed, then took off to find Carl and say goodnight. Michonne had told him at dinner that it was Carol's idea to try and find a wheelchair and he wanted to thank her but hadn't had the chance yet.

They had opened a couple bottles of wine that had been kicking around and a few of them had a glass or two with dinner. Daryl didn't really like wine but it actually tasted pretty damn good. Carol was incredibly giggly and he wondered how much she had drank? He didn't think she was drunk but the alcohol had definitely loosened her up. She was still laughing about something funny Glenn had said at dinner and Daryl couldn't take his eyes off her. Her laughter made him feel some kind of warm fuzzy crap going on inside him, "must be the wine," he thought.

"Should we get ready for bed?" she asked, when she finally stopped laughing.

"I can just sleep like this," he offered.

"Don't be silly, you should be comfy to sleep." Carol started to unbutton his shirt, something he could have easily done himself, but Daryl didn't stop her. He liked the way it made him feel when she was so close. When she slid the shirt down over his shoulders Daryl shivered but it wasn't just from the cold air. She leaned in even closer to continue to push the shirt down his arms and Daryl took a deep breath. He loved how she always smelled like whatever soap she had used. He noticed the scent seemed to stay with her all day, no matter how hard she worked.

Once she had the shirt off she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back onto his pillows. He had imagined something like this happening but in his fantasy they weren't going to end up sleeping anytime soon. "Fuck she makes me crazy," he thought. When she unbuttoned his pants Daryl had to restrain himself from grabbing her and kissing her again. He studied her face, "does she have any fucking clue what she's doing to me right now?" he wondered. Carol appeared to be concentrating on the task at hand, nothing more. Daryl was kind of disappointed yet still relieved at the same time. She got his pants off, covered him with his blankets and it was over.

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Carol had forced herself to focus solely on what she was doing, talking herself through every step in her head. She couldn't look at his face or risk losing her concentration. She could tell that Daryl had been watching her, but she continued on until she was finished making sure to avoid eye contact at all costs.

After she had tucked him in she changed quickly while he looked away. Once she was finally tucked safely in bed Carol let her guard down and allowed her mind to roam freely, although she knew exactly where her brain was headed, urged on by her cheerleading hormones. She had seen Daryl naked. It was hours ago, but the picture in her mind was like looking at a photograph. Even the quick glimpse that it was left every inch of him burned into her brain. "Well there are certainly worse images that could be stuck in your mind," she thought.

Carol hadn't seen a great deal of naked men in her lifetime, but she had seen enough to know that Daryl was definitely on the large end of the spectrum. Not that she hadn't had her suspicions of that already, but the confirmation was indeed startling. She had seen most of his body before. Those damn fine biceps had been distracting her for as long as she could remember, perhaps even before Ed had died. She had even heard a couple of the new women from Woodbury commenting on them, and agreed silently with a smile as she passed by. That morning she had seen his ass and decided it could be the nicest one she's ever seen, movie stars included. Though Mel Gibson, in his day, had something pretty special. But nothing she had seen or imagined so far could have prepared her for seeing Daryl completely naked. Naked and aroused. He was pretty much perfect.

Carol found herself wondering how it would have felt to hold him in her hand. Her breath caught in her throat and a wave of heat coursed through her entire body. She imagined the sounds he would have made, and the look on his face as she stroked him. Daryl wouldn't have stopped her if she had touched him. As embarrassed as he was, she knew there was no way he wouldn't have let her pleasure him. As much as she wondered about whether either of them were ready for intimacy, she could confidently say they were both ready for sex. To the best of her knowledge Daryl had never been with anyone since they had met, and she knew, from the fact that she hadn't either, that masturbating only leaves you wanting more once it's over. If she had been alone in her room Carol may have just confirmed that theory once again.

Sleep was not going to come anytime soon. Between the wine and being highly aroused thinking about Daryl she was far from ready to call it a night. What seemed like a hundred years ago Andrea had been showing her some yoga moves to help relax her after losing Sophia. "It's worth a try," she thought getting out of bed. She quickly made the bed to use as a yoga mat and moved into the first pose.

Daryl's voice startled her and she almost fell over, "whatcha doin?"

"Yoga."

"Why?"

Carol laughed, "Can't sleep"

"Oh, me neither," he replied.

She switched to another pose. "Well we could talk I guess?"

"K, 'bout what?"

Carol took a deep breath stretching her legs and arching her back, "well, I don't know..." she paused to think. "Hmm, let's start with our past. We know each other so well, but I don't even know where you worked or where you lived before."

She stood up, stretched her arms as high as she could reach, stood up on her tip toes enjoying the burn in her muscles, and waited for him to talk.


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl snorted. "Wasn't nothin exciting," he said. "City of Newnan, Public Works, Street Division." He looked at Carol and shrugged, "Basically, I made sure the streets were pretty, sidewalks were clean, and the storm drains were doing their job."

Carol smiled, "Well that ruined my fantasy of you in a firefighters uniform." She leaned forward, legs spread in a wide stance and placed her hands flat on the ground. Daryl was impressed, actually he was amazed, at her flexibility. "So Newnan, that's where you and Merle were from?"

"Grew up in Palmetto," Daryl replied. "But when I finally decided it was time to grow up and get a real job I moved to Newnan." He eyed his crossbow, "it was still close enough to the places I liked to hunt."

When he finished speaking he lay there and watched her. Carol was stretched into some crazy pose with her butt up in the air. "She really does have a great ass," he thought. "What about you," he asked, trying to distract himself from listing all the parts of Carol's body that turned him on. It was a long list.

Carol started to stand up and Daryl caught a brief glimpse down the front of her shirt. He added her boobs to the list. "Stay at home mom after Sophia was born," she said, taking a seat on her bed and tucking her knees up in front of her. "Before that, just a house wife. Ed wouldn't let me work. I wanted to, so badly." Daryl saw the sadness creep into her eyes and wished Ed was still alive so he could punch his fucking head in.

Carol looked at him, his anger must have been obvious. "It's ok. It was a long time ago now. He got what he deserved."

"He's damn lucky he's dead," Daryl growled. "If I knew you better when he was still alive..." his voice trailed off. "Beating the crap out of him was one of the only good things Shane did."

Carol smiled. "That could have got me in a lot of trouble."

Anger flashed in his eyes again. "Well you never have to worry about that now. No one will hurt you ever again, or they answer to me." Daryl looked at her beautiful face and couldn't understand how any one could ever want to hurt that woman. "I would have killed him by now, you know that right?"

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Carol had spent so much of her life defending Ed that it had become second nature. As an abused woman you protect yourself by finding everything good about your abuser, even if its simple things like good personal hygiene or the fact he has a job. You have to find reasons, good reasons, that you stay with them or you realize just how weak and scared you are. So anytime someone would try to convince her to leave or try to make her see what a cruel man Ed was she found herself defending him.

Carol almost started to defend him to Daryl, even though she was long past feeling guilty. She knew what kind of man Ed was, she always had, but she also knew it wasn't her fault. None of it was her fault.

Instead of defending Ed Carol diverted. "What's been going between us lately?" she blurted out. Maybe it was her strong desire to change the subject or the fact that it was late and she probably needed sleep but once the words came out, there was no taking them back.

Daryl was obviously surprised by her words and the complete divergence of the conversation. He stared at her, struggling to find something to say.

"I don't know," he managed.

"Oh shit, you idiot," Carol chastised herself. It really was too late though, she knew that. They would have this conversation some day, likely sooner rather than later anyway. So why not now? She found herself answering that question silently to herself: it's late, we should be sleeping, what if it makes everything awkward?

"Carol?"

"Oh," she shook her head and cleared her thoughts. "When you say 'I don't know' do you mean you have no idea what I'm talking about? Or you don't know what's going on exactly?" She needed clarification.

"Oh I know what you mean," he replied. Carol breathed a small sigh of relief. She knew that Daryl understood what she was talking about, she just wasn't sure he was going to admit it but thankfully he did. "I just don't know what to say," Daryl continued, looking away shyly. "I'm not good at this..."

Carol knew that he wasn't a talker but she also wasn't sure if she was ready to bear her heart and soul if he wasn't going to try.

She realized she might have to rely on the non-verbal and how well she had learned to interpret everything Daryl said without words. There was one good way to find out. An oldies tune popped into her head, It's in his Kiss, and Carol decided she was going to find out if that was indeed true.

Carol stood slowly. Her movement drew his gaze back in her direction. She sought out his eyes with her own, holding the eye contact as she walked towards him. Daryl didn't look away. Her stare froze him but she also knew he didn't want to look away and that made her heart beat a little bit faster. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, a bit darker than her own. It was a color she would never forget, a color she recognized in the sky, in the water, and anywhere else it might appear.

When she got to his bedside she knelt down so they were at the same level. By now Daryl had figured out what she was doing. She asked if it was ok with only a look and he nodded. Carol placed one hand on his cheek expecting him to flinch but he didn't. Daryl actually leaned very slightly into her touch, almost nuzzling her hand. She placed the other hand on his face as well, then looked into his eyes one last time before leaning in to kiss him.

Carol tilted her head slightly and brushed her lips against his. The softness of his lips surprised her again. She remembered that from when he had kissed her, but still hadn't expected it. She drew back slightly before making contact again, with a bit more intensity. Daryl had moved his hands so one rested on the back of her arm and the other lingered on her lower back.

Carol parted her lips, just slightly and Daryl reciprocated. His breath was warm and sweet as it mixed with her own. His fingers moved slightly on her back and Carol realized he was lifting her shirt. When Daryl's fingers made contact with her bare skin Carol gasped. It was only the slightest touch but it was electrifying. That's all he had wanted, just to slip a hand far enough under her shirt to touch her skin and it was the sexiest thing he had ever done to her. So far.

Carol let her hands drift from his cheeks around to the back of his head. She twisted her fingers into his long hair, enjoying the silky feel. There were so many sensations going on at the same time she was losing focus on the kiss. Redirecting her attention Carol decided it was time to take things to another level. She licked lightly at his lips before plunging her tongue into Daryl's mouth where she found his waiting, eagerly. He was obviously enjoying things every bit as much as she was.

Carol felt pressure on her back. He was urging her closer, begging her for more. And she gave him more, she gave him everything she had, kissing him until neither one could breathe. They were forced to part to find air. Once Carol found her breath again she immediately went in for one more kiss. Slow and tender. When she pulled back this time she caught his lower lip between her teeth and Carol bit gently, playfully, before releasing him.

She had learned what she needed to know, for now. There was something new happening and he felt it every bit as much as she did. So now what? Keep going? Talk some more? Call it a night? She searched his face for the right answer and for once Carol couldn't figure it out.

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Daryl had no idea how they had went from talking about their past to Carol kissing him, not that he was complaining about it though. Her question had taken him completely by surprise, not only because it came out of the blue, but also because it was the one thing always on his mind. For it being something he thought so much about you would have thought he would have a way better answer for her than 'I don't know.'

His complete lack of ability to make conversation and share his thoughts and feelings was something he had never worried about. Until that moment when it actually meant something important. Carol had always been understanding but was she going to put her heart on the line if he didn't validate her efforts? Daryl knew he had to try. She was too important to him not to. It would have to be a balance between telling her and showing her how he felt because if he tried with just words he knew he would screw it up.

Carol was looking at him and he knew she had no idea what to do next. If her body felt anything like his it was screaming at her to get naked and satisfy their needs. But if her brain was anywhere near the same page it was telling her to wait. If she made a move towards the first option Daryl didn't think he would be able to stop her so he forced himself to speak, silently praying that she would be able to understand his words and why he chose that moment to do what he was about to do.

Daryl stopped her, "Carol, wait, I don't want us to have sex tonight." She looked confused and disappointed. He gave her a reassuring smile before continuing, "I want to, don't get me wrong but not tonight. Tonight I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and know there's still so much more to look forward to." By the time he finished her eyes were glistening and a single tear started to make it's way down her cheek. He brushed it away and decided there was one more thing he wanted to do before they went to sleep. It was the right time.

"Before you get in bed with me I want to show you the reason why I ended up with this broken leg." Daryl reached over, opened the drawer and pulled out the Jasper necklace. 


	9. Chapter 9

The necklace was beautiful. The gold sparkled in the dim light of their lantern but it was the jasper that caught Carol's attention. It was a gorgeous shade of green, smooth and polished, and there was just something about the stone that drew her in and made her feel calm just by looking at it.

Carol reached out and Daryl let her take the necklace from him. She placed the stone in her hand and examined it closer. "This is what you were getting in the jewelry store?" She looked up at him and smiled. "This is what you wouldn't tell me about? What was in your pants?" Carol started to connect the dots.

"Sort of," Daryl replied. He reached into the drawer again and pulled out the amethyst. "This is what was originally on the necklace. I swapped it for the jasper. Found it on a run."

"It's beautiful," Carol said, turning it over in her hand, still drawn to the stone. "Who is it for?"

Daryl motioned for her to give it back. "Turn around," he said. She did as she was told, staying crouched down. He put the necklace around her neck and a few seconds later it was done up. Carol looked down and touched the jasper pendent lightly. No one, in her entire life had ever given her something like that, something so special and so perfect. Carol turned around slowly, "Really?" she asked, still in disbelief that it was for her. Not that she could think of anyone else he would have been giving it to. He had brought her things back before but they were usually practical gifts, things she needed or small luxuries like new shampoo, but never anything like the necklace.

Daryl nodded. "When I found the jasper I knew I had to give it to you. jasper is known as the protection stone." Carol's mind drifted back to a few of the times she had been in a lot of danger, like when Hershel's farm was attacked, or when Daryl had found her after T-Dog saved her, or the time the governor attacked and Axel had died. "I'm just not sure when those nine lives are gonna run out," he shrugged, "couldn't hurt right?" Carol touched the stone again and smiled. "It's green jasper too, which can help with your bad dreams," he continued. "Maybe you'll have some good dreams... About Sophia," he added gently.

Carol couldn't help herself, she needed to touch him. She leaned in and gave him a hug, and whispered in his ear, "thank you.". Daryl hugged her back and for the first time in her life she felt safe in a man's embrace. There had been times she had felt comfort like when Daryl didn't return to the prison and Rick had held her. But this was the first time she had ever felt perfectly and completely safe.

When Carol released him and sat up she fought off a yawn but Daryl noticed. It was contagious and he yawned as well. Carol laughed. "Bed time?" Daryl nodded and lifted the blankets, letting her know that he hadn't changed his mind, he wanted her in his bed. She carefully climbed over his leg and slipped in beside him. Once she was comfortable Carol pulled the blanket back over them and she sighed. He was so toasty warm and he smelled great. It wasn't a soapy scent or the smell of his deodorant, it was just him, his own scent, like the smell left on men's shirts that makes girls want to steal them.

Carol touched the jasper one last time and closed her eyes. "Night," she said softly, falling asleep instantly.

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Daryl lay still, listening to Carol breathing. He thought about all the times he had made fun of the romantic moments he had seen others share and realized that before long he might be on the other end of the teasing. He had never been the type to display his affection, especially not in public. But the way he was feeling, with Carol laying in his arms, he knew he would do pretty much anything she wanted, in public or not.

The scary part was, she was unpredictable. She loved to tease him and make him blush. Daryl never knew what was going to come out of her mouth. She was cute, funny, feisty, and incredibly stubborn. It was going to be interesting to say the least.

Carol sighed again, this time in her sleep and Daryl felt a stirring in his loins. Yes, there was no denying how badly he wanted her. Waiting for the right time was going to kill him. Maybe it would be soon... Maybe it wouldn't. He had no idea when the right time was going to be, but he had to trust he would know it when it arrived. Was it going to be a moment of lust neither of them could fight? Or would it be planned?

Daryl had so many questions. What was it going to be like? Would she be shy and timid? Or wild and crazy? How amazing was it going to feel with her bare skin against his? What was that ass going to feel like in his hands? Those amazing tits? They weren't huge, and he was okay with that. What would it feel like to take one of her nipples in his mouth? What sounds would she make when he sucked on it? He was already completely aroused so Daryl continued with the list of questions. Would she suck his cock? Would she let him lick her pussy? What would her face look like when he entered her? Would she be wet with desire? Tight? Would she be quiet when he fucked her? Or cry out? Would he make her climax? Once? Maybe twice?

Carol shifted again and Daryl snapped back to reality. She was rolling over. When she had made herself comfortable again her head was tucked into his arm pit, with her cheek resting on his bicep. Her back was snuggled up against his side and her butt was tucked up against his hip. He wished he could have rolled slightly and pressed himself against that ass. It was probably best though because he was pretty sure he would have prematurely ejaculated like a teenager, right in his underwear. It was still a possibility if he didn't shut off his brain and get to sleep.

Daryl closed his eyes and thought about stabbing walkers in the head. Before long he was asleep too.

When Daryl woke the next morning he quickly noticed that Carol was not in bed beside him. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and realized she was sitting on her bed watching him, her usual mug of coffee in hand. She had already changed clothes as well. "How'd she get out without waking me?" he wondered.

"You were really tired," she said as if she had heard him. "I snuck out about an hour ago and left you snoring."

"I don't snore," Daryl joked.

Carol laughed, "Yes you do."

She held up her mug. "Did you wa..." Before she could get the words out they heard a gun shot. It came from outside but they both knew exactly what it was.

Carol put a hand in her hip where she normally kept her knife and looked at Daryl, eyes wide. "Gun?" she asked.

"Bottom drawer," he pointed. Carol opened it and grabbed the gun. She quickly checked the magazine to make sure it was fully loaded.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she said as she took off running.

Daryl's heart was pounding and he was angry. "I should be out there too," he thought, pounding a fist into the mattress.

Before he could get even more angry Carol reappeared holding Judith. "Rick said he needs everyone." Carol placed Judith in Daryl's arms and set a bottle down on the nightstand. "Gotta go!"

"What's going on?" he yelled after her.

"Don't know," she called back over her shoulder. And she was gone.

Daryl looked down at the baby, who was smiling up at him. "Hey Lil Asskicker," he said. "Looks like it's just you and me."

Judith cooed and tried to grab his nose.


	10. Chapter 10

_I'm not sure how many if you will get the chance to read this until the crazy holidays are over but for those who do, happy holidays! I hope a lil Caryl smut will make your holiday season even better! I also hope it's enough to keep you with me for a little while longer, until we get to the part you've all been waiting for. I'm enjoying the build up and I really don't want to rush it. I hope you guys understand that and aren't getting frustrated with me. If you're still reading this I love you for taking the time to share this journey with me! xoxoxo_

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Daryl played with Judith and tried to ignore the gunshots. He counted 25 before he forced himself to stop. He couldn't imagine what would be going on that they would need to waste that much ammo. If it was just a few walkers then knives would have worked just fine. Which meant it had to be more, way more. But how had they gotten in? Had someone left the gate open? That wasn't possible he decided, it was guarded all the time.

He wasn't willing to let himself think of the other possibility. The Governor was still out there somewhere.. No, there was no way he could have regained strength that fast. It had to be walkers. Lots and lots of walkers. Did they have enough manpower to stop them? Enough ammo?

"Ouch," Daryl yelled pulling his finger away from Judith's mouth. She giggled and looked at him innocently. She had 2 teeth at the top and 2 at the bottom now, and they were like little razor blades. Daryl examined his finger for blood as she tried to get his hand back to her mouth again. "Serves me right for not paying attention," he thought.

Daryl took a second to look at her. She really was cute. Daryl could see a lot of Lori in her. He knew that there was a chance that Judith was biologically Shane's but something about her eyes reminded him of Rick and Carl. Daryl would bet money that the baby really was Rick's child in every sense of the word. Not that it mattered, as far as anyone was concerned she was Rick's, even to those who knew.

"Ba ba ba," Judith babbled, pointing towards the bottle. Daryl grabbed it and repositioned her to feed. It was hard not to look at a baby while you fed it and Daryl stared at her until the bottle was empty and she was snoring gently in his arms.

Until she had fallen asleep he had momentarily forgot about the gunfire. Daryl noticed then that it had stopped. He listened closer to be sure but couldn't hear anymore shots. Daryl hoped that Carol would reappear soon but a good half an hour passed and still no sight of her. He knew it was a good thing Carol had brought him Lil Asskicker because if she hadn't he would have found a way to get to the wheelchair and been outside with them.

Daryl continued to stew silently while Judith napped. She had a calming effect on him or he likely would have been yelling, trying to get up, or throwing things by that point. Finally he heard footsteps. His heart was pounding in anticipation. Daryl held his breath but finally released it when Carol appeared in the doorway.

She was covered in blood and looked exhausted. "Are you..." Daryl started.

Carol shook her head, "no I'm fine. Walker blood."

"The rest?" he asked.

"Fine, everyone is fine. I think Maggie might have sprained a wrist, but she'll be ok." Carol pulled his gun out of her waistband. "It's reloaded," she said, putting it back in the drawer where she found it.

Daryl waited for her to explain. "There was a herd at the fence. They pushed it down and got in. We had to shoot until we got rid of enough of them to use knives instead."

"What about the fence?" Daryl asked.

"There are a bunch out repairing it now. I was helping but Rick sent me in to see you and sent a few of us to get cleaned up before we trade off again," Carol explained. "Carl is changing and then coming to get Judith." Carol looked at the baby and smiled. "I'm going to go shower, then Glenn is going to come help me get you in the wheelchair. I figured you might want to get out there and see what's going on."

Daryl loved that she knew him so well. He nodded in appreciation. "Can you hurry? Don't take one of those long damn girly showers!"

Carol rolled her eyes, and started to leave, "I shower faster than you, Sunshine."

"She probably right," he thought with a smile.

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Carol went about her business as quickly as she could. The image of Daryl holding a sleeping Judith in his arms was burned in her mind. He was always at ease and comfortable with kids, including babies. Carol had often wondered why that was? Some people just have a knack for it but its often people who are around kids a lot, teachers, day care, parents, and she was pretty sure that wasn't the case for Daryl. Maybe someday she would ask him.

Carol had tucked her jasper necklace inside her shirt but it somehow still managed to get blood on it. She rinsed it off in the shower until it was clean and sparkly again.

In less than 20 minutes Carol had showered, changed, and was on her way to find Glenn. She ran her hands through her short hair, thankful that she really didn't have to do much more than that and it was done.

Before she got to Glenn and Maggie's cell she tucked the jasper inside her shirt again. It was very noticeable because it shined and sparked so beautifully, and she wasn't in the mood to explain where it had come from all day long. It would happen eventually but she was too tired right then to endure the questions and likely the teasing. She knew Daryl would understand and appreciate it as well. He would have hated her going around and showing everyone, bringing attention to something special between them. So, for now, the gift would remain private.

Glenn was waiting when Carol arrived. "How's Maggie?" she asked as they headed towards Daryl.

Glenn shook his head and groaned in frustration, "Hershel wrapped her wrist and she's already back out there."

Carol laughed, "Believe me, I feel your pain." Carol knew exactly what Glenn was going through and the more Daryl's leg healed the harder it was going to be to keep him down. She knew what had happened that morning was only going to make him all the more determined. Carol just hoped that by keeping Daryl as involved as possible he wouldn't push himself too hard. But it hadn't even been a week, only a few days. There was a good possibility she would have to use certain distraction techniques soon and if it came to that, she would do it.

They got Daryl dressed and into the wheelchair, then Carol pushed him outside. It was bright, sunny, and hot. The warm days and cool nights were a stark contrast but after spending all day in the hot sun most of them enjoyed bundling up in the evenings.

"Here we go again," Carol muttered when the adoring fans started to swarm the wheelchair. They were going to have to get through all the pleasantries and small talk before she could take him down to the fence to see the damage. As much as she joked about it she had to admit it was seriously cute seeing Daryl as the center of attention. She was pretty sure he would never get used to it as he continued to blush at every person who talked to him. At one point he sought out her eyes and silently begged for help.

Carol came to the rescue and said their goodbyes, quickly moving them out of the Woodbury dominated crowd towards Rick, Michonne, and others who would be too busy at the fence to make much small talk. When they were out of earshot Carol leaned in and whispered, "You've come a long way from the loner who was going to take off on his own from the farm." She couldn't resist adding, "um like maybe later I could, like, get your autograph or somethin'?"

Daryl shot a glare over his shoulder, "I could still leave."

Carol laughed, "not for another 5 weeks at least. And by that point you'll love me too much to leave." She was only teasing him, like she always had, but there was a possible truth to the statement they both recognized. Carol knew that another 5 weeks wasn't going to make a difference for her, she couldn't leave him, or the others, even if she tried. This was home now, and for a long time, she hoped.

Carol was surprised at how much had been accomplished in her short absence. They had the fence back up, supported with braces, and were working on straightening out and reattaching the chain link that had been damaged. Beth, Maggie and Sasha had attracted the remaining walkers to another area and were killing them at the fence. Carol noticed Glenn making his way over, likely to try and convince Maggie to rest. "Good luck," she thought, with a grin.

Rick noticed they had arrived. "what can I do?" Carol called out. She was standing beside Daryl and all of a sudden felt him try to take her knife. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"I can go kill walkers, at the fence," he said, tugging at the knife.

Rick saw the exchange and made his way over as Carol stepped back, retaining her knife. "We're almost done," Rick said. "A few more minutes and we can all take a break."

Daryl made some sort of irritated snorting noise that caused Rick and Carol to exchange a quick look of amusement. But Rick realized Daryl's need to feel useful and honored it. "Daryl, we could use a hand down at the fence. It'll be easier for Michonne and I to get the chain link tight if we have someone pulling it."

Carol mouthed Rick a silent 'thank you' as she pushed the wheelchair into place. Once she was certain he was in position and settled she headed over to help Karen and Tyreese.

In less than an hour they were done. Sasha and Bob offered to take the next guard shift and everyone else headed back to have lunch, get cleaned up, and many were ready for a nap.

Carol noticed that Daryl's mood had improved greatly, just being able to help out a bit. She made a mental note to think of things he could do in the future so they both might survive another 5 weeks in the cast.

The rest of the day flew by. Around 7pm Michonne came by Daryl's cell. "There's a group of kids in the library hoping you'll show up," she said to Carol.

Carol gasped, "Oh my God, it's Monday. Story hour." Both Daryl and Michonne knew how much it meant to her.

"Go," he urged her.

Carol hesitated. Michonne nodded, "I'll stay."

"Thank you," she replied and took off with a smile.

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Michonne had been gone for a few minutes before Carol returned. She had to leave for guard duty. Daryl had already removed his shirt and was making an attempt at getting his pants off when Carol entered.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I'm reading them The Hobbit and they always seem to talk me into one more chapter." Carol smiled, "tonight it was 3 more chapters." She came over to help him as she spoke. "Then I had to find Hershel and the other council members."

Carol sighed, "I've called a council meeting for tomorrow. You up for that?" Daryl nodded but gave her a questioning look. "There were too many people who weren't prepared for what happened today, myself included. Too many people who weren't carrying weapons." Carol took a deep breath, "we got lucky that we didn't lose anyone. What happened today just proves that we can't let out guard down. Not even for a second."

She looked tired and stressed, so Daryl motioned for her to sit down in front of him. The second his hands touched her shoulders Carol relaxed. He kneaded her sore muscles gently, enjoying not only the feel of her but the way it was making her feel, the pleasurable sighs and the way she moved her head when he did something that felt really good.

Carol tilted her head back, slightly to one side, exposing her neck. Daryl stared, he was almost positive he could see her pulse beating. He gently touched the spot with his fingers and felt the steady beat of her heart. Before he could stop himself he replaced his finger tips with his mouth. Carol gasped in response, leaning her head back against his shoulder to allow him greater access. Daryl licked at her pulse point, then sucked gently. Carol moaned and arched her body, leaning back into him even more.

Daryl moved from her neck to her shoulder, trailing soft kisses along the way. He had one hand around her body, splayed over her firm stomach. The other was free momentarily, until it found its way to her breast. He cupped it through her clothes but it only frustrated him, Daryl needed to touch it, skin on skin. He slid the hand up under her shirt, found her bra and shoved it up, releasing her tit below into his waiting hand. He felt her body shudder against him as he touched her nipple. Suddenly just touching her wasn't enough, he wanted to see her too.

Daryl tugged her shirt off over her head and tossed it. Then he undid her bra and let it fall off. He felt her stiffen against him and knew she was feeling self conscious and exposed. "Shh, it's ok," he whispered gently in her ear. "You're beautiful."

Daryl leaned his chin on her shoulder and Carol nuzzled her head against his. From his new vantage point he could see her gorgeous breasts and decided at that moment that they were perfect. He started both hands low on her stomach and slowly slid them up her body until he was holding one in each hand. Then he started to gently circle her nipples with his thumbs, watching with a smile as they grew stiff, much like his cock was doing inside his underwear.

After a few minutes Carol broke away and stood up. He had a full on view of the top half of her, perfectly naked, and his body responded with a rush. He watched, heart pounding as she took off her boots, socks, and started to remove her pants. "You're wearing only your underwear, it's only fair I join you," she said, with a shy smile. Daryl rarely seen her shy about anything and it drove him crazy to see the vulnerability she was demonstrating.

Carol stripped down to nothing but a cute pair of light green panties. They were really nothing special, cotton fruit of the looms likely, but Daryl thought they were the sexiest panties he had ever seen.

She hesitated for a moment suddenly unsure of her decision and made a move to cover herself. "Don't," he said gently. "C'mere." She stepped closer and he took her hand urging her to join him in the bed. When she stepped the first leg over his body he pulled down on her hand, suggesting for her to straddle him.

She didn't move, "But your leg?"

Daryl shook his head, "stay high enough and it won't be a problem."

Carol gently eased her self down. Daryl watched her eyes widen as she settled directly on top of his bulging erection. He didn't give her a chance to think about anything taking a nipple into his mouth as soon as she was close enough. Carol slid forward slightly as he sucked, then eased back. She did it a few more times and he felt his cock throbbing with enjoyment.

Daryl settled his hands lightly on her hips. She continued to grind against him, slowly at first, then harder and faster. He was right on the edge when Carol suddenly shuddered and collapsed into his arms.

When she finally pulled back and looked at him there were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, cheeks flushing light pink.

"Oh my God, don't be," Daryl replied. It took him a minute to even understand why she was apologizing but when he did Daryl realized that he needed to show her that she was the only one that mattered.

He touched a damp cheek, "it's been a long day, let's call it a night." Daryl wanted to let her know he was ok with stopping. He didn't need anything more from her than she had already given him. He realized that when they did finally make love the decision may not even be his, but right then it was his decision, and once again it just didn't feel like the right time. He was actually, in some masochistic way, enjoying being driven to the edge and left dangling.

Carol reached for a tissue and settled into a comfortable position beside him as Daryl lay back on his pillow. He quickly realized that the tissue was not to wipe her face when he felt her hand on his penis. "Fuck being a masochist," he thought, "this is going to be way better." Daryl immediately felt guilty for the thought and spoke gently, "you don't have to."

"I want to," Carol replied in a husky tone that sent a wave of heat straight to his cock.

A few gentle strokes and Daryl knew it wasn't going to take long. He closed his eyes and focused on how incredible it felt to have such soft, smooth hands touching him. The only thing that had been down there for some time was his own calloused hands. Carol slid her hand from the tip of his penis slowly down to the base, then lightly fondled his sac. Daryl groaned in pleasure. She slid her hand back to the top and focused on the head with a few short strokes. "Holy fuck," he groaned, getting even closer to his peak.

Carol tightened her grip slightly and gradually started to stroke faster. Daryl felt dizzy in the seconds before he came and when the moment finally arrived the world went black with waves of satisfying pleasure.

They both lay still for a few moments, before putting the tissue to use. Daryl couldn't think of anything to say, he was still lost in the memories of what had just happened. He felt Carol place a light kiss on his chest and settle back into her comfortable sleeping position. He kissed the top of her head in response then Daryl quickly drifted off to dreamland into that easy slumber that often follows such incredible release.


	11. Chapter 11

The next three and a half weeks were filled with highs and lows, excitement and boredom, and a great deal of fighting urges with delicious moments of giving in. Carol did everything she could to make Daryl feel useful. She even convinced Rick to allow them back in the guard rotation. She knew, wheelchair or not, Daryl was an amazing shot with his crossbow. She had absolutely no concerns for her safety, or anyone else's. Between him with the crossbow and her with a rifle they could protect the gates as well as anyone else.

Carol would push him in the wheelchair as they walked the perimeter, keeping an eye on things. Daryl was teaching her a lot, giving her tips on tracking, shooting, and sharing his hunting experience. He taught her how to hear things when she was sure there was nothing to hear and to see things when she was sure there was nothing to see.

One of the best moments they had ever shared together came the day Daryl taught her how to use his crossbow. Daryl had set up a practice range for himself several months before. They had gone through a period where they didn't go on many runs and threats around the prison were minimal. Hunting was always an option but there wasn't much game to be found nearby. Daryl felt he would lose accuracy if he didn't continue to shoot so he set up the range.

Carol took him to shoot one day. She was sitting off to the side watching him nail every target. It was quite impressive, even though she knew already that he rarely missed a target, big or small, moving or still. But he was in a damn wheelchair and still never missed a shot. He was even able to cock the crossbow easily which Carol soon learned was not a simple task even without a broken leg.

Once he had fired through the first round she got up and helped him gather the bolts. "You wanna give it a shot?" he asked. Carol hesitated. She had always been curious what it would be like. He made it look so easy. She knew she was a good shot with a rifle and even a hand gun, but this was completely different. "Come on, give it a try," he urged. Daryl cocked the bow and set everything up for her. He quickly went through the mechanics and then handed it over. It was a lot lighter than she was expecting.

Carol took a deep breath and aimed at her target, a simple bullseye attached to a huge chunk of foam. She was fully prepared for the recoil as she pulled the trigger. "Oh," she said in surprised when she felt nothing. Carol looked at the target and realized she had only missed the center by 6 inches. 6 inches could mean life or death if she was aiming at a walker, but for her first shot ever, it was pretty damn good.

"Wow," Daryl exclaimed with a grin. "That was fuckin amazing." Carol couldn't help but smile. "Here, try again." He took the crossbow and got it ready for her again. Her second shot only missed by an inch. She wasn't bracing for the recoil the second time so Carol was more relaxed. Daryl narrowed his eyes, "you sure you haven't shot one of these before?" Carol shook her head. "Ok, this time you set it up."

Carol got into position, the way she had seen him do it a million times before, but she was not prepared for the amount of tension on the string. She pulled and grunted and heaved on the string, getting it close a time or two but never close enough. She shot Daryl a look when she heard him snickering. The fact he was amused only made her more determined and with one last burst of energy she did it. "Ha," she cried in satisfaction.

"Too bad the walker would have ate you already," Daryl teased. Carol ignored him, put a bolt in place and shot. She nailed the bullseye and gave Daryl a smug look.

The second time she loaded the bow it was much smoother, but still quite the workout. Daryl made her choose harder targets from then on and they stayed at the range and shot until the sun started to set. By the time they were done she had successfully hit every target at least once. She knew Daryl was impressed with her, almost as much as she was impressed with herself. Who would have thought a former housewife would be a kickass shot with a rifle and a crossbow?

Instead of handing the weapon back to Daryl she strapped it on her back and started to push him back towards the prison. It just seemed fitting that she carry it.

Carol smiled at the memory. It was such an incredible day. And that night had been fairly memorable as well. Nights were something she always looked forward to, even though they made her nervous. After the night she had given Daryl the hand job she had started sleeping in her own bed again, not every night, but most nights. They both knew the closer they were physically the harder it was not to give in to everything they were feeling. Yet some nights they just had to be close as if she was south, he was north and they were drawn together by a magnetic pull. It was these moments that Carol couldn't stop herself from kissing him, touching him, begging him to touch her with only a look.

So far they had been lucky that when she lost all control Daryl somehow found restraint. And when he lost control she was able to do the same. It had to be that way because the first time they both lost control, at the same time, there would be no turning back. It would be impossible. And it would be incredible.

Carol thought a lot about why they were waiting and what they were waiting for. It was a combination of things for her, and she believed it was similar for him. There was the obvious, his leg. Not that sex was impossible, they had proven it was quite possible on more than one occasion. Carol was ok with being on top but she knew Daryl wasn't necessarily okay with her being there. She was pretty sure it wasn't a matter of control or dominance but a matter of pride. He wanted to be fully capable of doing anything and everything their first time.

There was also a great deal of nerves and self consciousness on her part. For as much as they had done already and as great as it had been for both of them, sex was another thing yet. It was that final step, something you can never take back, the ultimate part of you that you can share with another person physically. But it wasn't just that she was nervous about, Carol was afraid he wouldn't like it. She had developed this confidence around Daryl because she knew him so well but for some reason she just couldn't completely extend that confidence to sex. So whenever she had time to think about it, and consider the possibility she always started to worry that he wouldn't be completely satisfied. Carol really didn't have that much experience. Coming of age near the end of the flower child era she had older friends who had many partners, believing in free love and all that. But by the time she was old enough to start thinking about having sex those ideas had faded away. Ed wasn't her only partner, there were a couple before him, but she had been young and foolish and they hadn't meant much. At the beginning of their relationship, before he had become abusive, they had been in love and their sex life was great. But things started to change and wasn't long before she associated sex with abuse. Ed always made her feel like she wasn't good enough and didn't do things right and even though it was so long ago those ideas still crept into her mind.

All she had to do was look at Daryl or touch the jasper and she felt better. Ed was gone. He was an asshole. He didn't deserve her but Daryl, Daryl deserved her and Carol deserved him. Yet the nerves were still there.

Carol was sitting alone, outside, drinking an afternoon coffee and thinking once again about why they were waiting when Maggie suddenly took a seat beside her. "I don't really have one, but penny for your thoughts?" she said. Carol blushed immediately. "Sorry," Maggie replied. She smiled at Carol, "Daryl?"

"Oh Jesus," Carol put her face in her hands, then lifted her head and gave Maggie a sheepish look. "Am I really that bad at hiding my thoughts?" Maggie nodded and Carol sighed in frustration.

"We don't have to, but if you want to talk we can," Maggie offered.

Carol waited a minute, staring off into the distance. "How did you know, with Glenn, how did you know the time was right?" She needed to hear from someone who had fallen in love after the world went crazy and Carol realized it was a blessing in disguise that Maggie had shown up.

"If you are talking about sex... I was just horny and we were alone..." Maggie spoke truthfully. "But if you're wondering about love, when I decided to let myself love him, it was after he told your group about the walkers in the barn. I was so angry with him at the time, but I realized then that he was loyal and loving and he still had morals that he stuck to. He did what he felt was right even if it meant he could have destroyed our relationship. I knew then that I wanted him on my side forever." Maggie was smiling and Carol felt tears sting her eyes.

Maggie took her hand, "Don't be afraid to fall in love, you've earned it and so has he." She looked at Carol with a sparkle in her eyes, "and if it's the sex you're worried about, don't. He's a guy and it's been a long time!" She leaned over and nudged Carol's shoulder, "Besides, Daryl could use a little lovin', maybe we'll get to see his cute smile more often."

Carol laughed. It was true. Daryl didn't smile nearly enough and he really did have an adorable smile. "Well you're going to have to put up with his brooding for another couple weeks," Carol said.

"His leg," Maggie nodded in agreement. "Probably best. Besides, you don't want to have to do all the work," she teased.

Carol smiled, "Very true, I certainly don't miss those days."

Maggie realized she was talking about Ed. "Well, let me warn you, those days will still come around now and again."

"Well as long as it's not every time," Carol replied.

Maggie wrinkled her nose, "No way? Really?"

Carol nodded, "pretty much."

"Oh geez, forget about Daryl then, you're the one who needs some lovin'." They both laughed.

Carol stood and offered Maggie a hand to get up. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Me too," Maggie replied. "It's nice to have some girl talk with someone other than Beth."

Carol started to walk away but Maggie stopped her, "He loves you, you know that right?" Carol froze and waited for her to continue. "I saw it when you were missing and when he found you. And now I see it every time he looks at you."

Carol nodded and started to turn away again with a smile creeping onto her face. "One more thing," Maggie called after her. "I may have sent Glenn to have a similar chat... With Daryl."

"Oh?" Carol replied. "Well in that case you want to head to the library for a game of chess or something?"

Maggie nodded and followed her.

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

"Hey," Glenn said, taking a seat in the "visitor chair" they brought into the cell when people started to come by.

"Hey," Daryl said in reply. He studied Glenn's face, he looked nervous about something. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing," Glenn said, with a strange and slightly awkward tone of voice. "Just came to see how you're doing..." Glenn leaned forward. "And how you're feeling. Anything you want to talk about? Anything at all?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "What are you, Korean Doctor Phil?" There was something strange going on with Glenn and he was going to get to the bottom of it. "Why are you acting like I have some secret I need to talk about?"

"Do you?" Glenn asked. "Have a secret?"

"No," Daryl said in frustration. "Fuck dude, what's wrong with you?"

Glenn sighed, "it was Maggie's idea. I said no, I told her you would never talk to me about it but she insisted and when she insists it's too much work to say no."

Daryl was confused. "Ok, you're still not makin' any fucking sense."

"Maggie wanted me to talk to you, about you and her."

"Me and Maggie?"

"No," Glenn ran a hand through his hair. "Carol," he said finally.

"Ok..." Daryl paused, confused still, but concerned. "She just left like 15 minutes ago, is she ok?"

"No, it's not that. I mean yes, yes she's fine. Its just Jesus..." Glenn was obviously exasperated. "Why is this so difficult?"

Daryl rolled his eyes, "It's not, if you just get to the fucking point already."

"Ok, ok," Glenn looked at him. "She loves you man, Carol, she loves you." Daryl felt his heart rate increase. He knew that already. At least he was pretty damn sure of it. But now there was a third party sitting in front of him, pointing it out. "And you love her too." Glenn finished.

Daryl's eyes flashed. He wasn't angry but he was annoyed at being called out. "I... I... " Daryl just couldn't bring himself to completely deny it. "I'm not talking to you about this," he said in an effort to simply end the conversation.

It didn't work. "I know, that's what I told Maggie. But you don't have to talk, you can just listen." Daryl started to interrupt but Glenn ignored him. "I know you're not the mushy type and you're the first one to tease and crack jokes about the love birds in this group, but I want you to know that it's okay to give in, to let your guard down, but only for the right person." Glenn met his eyes, "and she's the right person Daryl, you already know that." When Daryl didn't say anything Glenn continued. "Seriously, that woman has been through more than any one person should ever have to go through, and look at her... She's still so full of love and passion, she still sees the positives, all the time. I was like that once and then lost it." Daryl knew he was referring to what had happened with Merle and the Governor in Woodbury. "Maggie helped me get it back. They're a lot alike you know? I think that's why Maggie sent me here. She wants what's best for Carol, and she believes that's you."

Daryl softened slightly. As much as he understood the truth and honesty of Glenn's words he wasn't ready to talk about it with anyone other than Carol. And he honestly wasn't even sure he was ready to talk about it with her. Feeling it and saying it were two completely different things, with different consequences.

He didn't want to talk to Glenn, but he didn't want to hurt his feelings either. "So how about them Saints?" Daryl said.

Glenn laughed. He understood the conversation was over. He had said what he needed to say. "I never will get how a Georgia boy, born and raised, isn't a Falcon's fan?"

Daryl smiled, "come on, would you rather cheer for a bird? Or a fuckin' Saint?"

They continued to chat for a few minutes about football, wondering if Drew Brees and Matt Ryan were alive or wandering around eating people. Glenn stayed a bit longer and Daryl didn't mind. Sometimes it was nice to chat about things from the past even though they both knew the chances of ever hitting a bar again to watch Monday night Football were pretty much zero.

Not long after Glenn left, Carol returned. Daryl studied her face for a second, when she noticed she smiled at him. "Jesus that damn smile kills me every time," he thought.

"What?" she said, still smiling.

Daryl refocussed, "Did you get a visit from Cupid today?"

"I did!" she exclaimed. "How about you? How did that go?"

Daryl gave her a tiny grin, "I shot him with an arrow and sent him on his way."

Carol laughed, "So it went well, good to know."

"Seriously though, what was that all about?" he asked, wanting to hear her thoughts.

Carol sat down beside him, "They're happy, together. They want other people to feel like they do. I think sometimes Maggie feels guilty for being so happy, so... She wants to spread around the love."

Daryl shook his head again, "Jesus Christ, thank God there are men in this world or we would all be dancing around like pixies, smiling, and crapping glitter!"

"Would that really be so bad?" Carol teased.

"I would rather be a walker," he replied.

Carol moved closer to him. Daryl watched her take a peek over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming and then she planted a warm kiss on his lips. Daryl responded instinctively, enjoying every second. When she pulled back Carol asked again, "Would it really be so bad?"

Daryl smiled but didn't speak. He pulled her in for another quick kiss and gave her his answer.

At supper time Daryl wasn't hungry but he went down to the dining hall anyway. He ate a bit, but the food just wasn't as good when Carol didn't make it. He preferred when she brought breakfast and lunch to his cell, that way he knew she had made it and it would be good.

They had some kind of stew and then canned peaches for dessert. He declined the peaches, he never had liked them canned. They lived in Georgia, it just didn't seem right to eat peaches that weren't fresh.

Carol and him were on guard duty that night. So after dinner they quickly headed out for their shift, relieving Bob and Tyreese.

They walked the perimeter several times. It usually took about 35 minutes to make a full round. By that point it was getting dark but they still had a couple hours left on their shift.

"Let's make one more round then take a break," Daryl suggested. He noticed that Carol looked a bit tired. "Unless you want to just rest now?" Carol shook her head and started to push him. "I've got it," he said, wheeling himself.

Daryl was talking about something he over heard at dinner when he realized Carol was no longer answering. He turned his wheelchair and saw her about 10 yards back, leaned over by the fence. She was vomiting, violently.

He wheeled himself quickly to her side as she stood up. "Are you alright?" he asked. Daryl got his answer when she passed out. Luckily she fell towards him and Daryl was able to catch her, but not before she crashed into his broken leg. There hadn't been much pain in the past week but when she landed on him, it fucking hurt. Daryl bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Once he had a handle on the pain Daryl was able to shift her limp body so she was laying across his lap.

"Now how the fuck do I get her to Hershel?" he thought. Daryl knew a single gunshot would bring people running, but it could also bring a dangerous number of walkers to the fence, and that was the last thing they needed after the fence came down a few weeks ago.

There was also the matter of Rick allowing him back on guard rotation. Daryl had to prove that it wasn't a mistake. So he would figure out a way to make it back, without help.

Daryl needed to keep one hand on Carol to make sure she didn't fall, which left only one hand free to try to move the wheelchair. He had to do a few pushes on one side, then switch hands and push on the other.

It was a helluva work out but once he got going it wasn't too bad. Carol faded in and out of consciousness and he had to stop once while she threw up. Luckily for Daryl she was aimed in a direction that missed him completely.

When they finally made it to the prison and headed towards Hershel's cell, help arrived. They weren't the only ones headed to Hershel for help. Tyreese was on his way too. "What the fuck is going on?" Daryl asked.

Tyreese started to push. "I don't know, but Karen is sick too. I had to leave her in the bathroom to come get help. And I saw Beth running in there as I left."

Carol groaned, she was coming to again. "I'm gonna..." It was too late, she got sick before they could find a bucket.

When they finally made it to Hershel's cell, Daryl and Tyreese looked at each other. They could hear him throwing up inside.

Daryl sighed, "Now what?"


	12. Chapter 12

When Carol woke up she was laying on Daryl's bed. Her mind was fuzzy but the pain in her stomach brought back the memories of throwing up, several times.

"Bucket?" Daryl asked, holding it towards her when he saw she was awake. Carol shook her head. "Oh, maybe that's a good..." Before he could even finish she changed her mind and waved for the bucket as she sat up. Daryl had it in position just in time.

Carol heaved so hard she felt tears stinging her eyes. Just when she thought she was done the urge to throw up struck her again but this time nothing would come up. When Daryl noticed he grabbed a glass of water and urged her to drink it. She had no desire to put anything in her stomach but she knew he was right, she needed fluids. Carol took a deep breath and with a shaky hand drank some water.

Surprisingly, the urge to vomit subsided slightly and she took another small sip. When the nausea was gone long enough for her to focus she looked up. Daryl was in his wheelchair, stationed right beside the bed. He handed her a cool cloth and Carol gratefully wiped her face. "What's wrong with me?" she groaned. "And what time is it?"

"Hershel thinks it's food poisoning. No one who is sick has a fever, which rules out the flu. Oh, and it's about 3am I would guess."

Carol looked at him and the questions started flying, "Then why aren't you sick? And who else is sick? And why are you still awake?"

Daryl smiled, "easy, one at a time," he teased. "Tyreese and I figure it might have been the peaches. We're not positive but we know you, Karen, and Hershel ate them, and him and I didn't."

Carol groaned again, 'If I never see another peach it will be too soon."

"That might be hard livin' in the good ole peach tree state," Daryl replied. She shot him a look and he continued with her questions. "As far as I know, you, Karen, Beth, Hershel, Rick, Sasha, Dr. S, and Mika are sick, everyone else must have avoided the peaches." He paused and then answered her last question, "and I'm still awake because some one needed to take care of pukey pants."

"I can take care of myself," Carol grumbled. She felt cranky, although deep down she thought it was very sweet that he had been up all night looking after her.

"Well then consider this payback. You've been looking after me for 4 weeks, and I've been up all night holding your puke bucket, so I'd say we're about even." When Carol looked up to glare at him again Daryl was smiling. She tried to look away but found herself smiling back before she could. "There it is," Daryl joked. She resisted the urge to punch him, partly because he was being way too cute, and partly because she wasn't sure if she could lift her arm anyway.

"How long is this supposed to last?" she asked, feeling the nausea creeping back again. She couldn't remember a time she had ever felt so sick.

"Hershel said within 24 hours everyone should be over the worst of it." Daryl playfully nudged her shoulder, "consider yourself lucky, I heard Rick and Dr S and have been on the shitter all night with garbage pails in front of them."

Carol's stomach gurgled in response to the idea. "I swear to god if I have to run to the bathroom now that you mentioned it, you're a dead man!"

"Good luck finding a stall," he chuckled. Carol ignored him and leaned forward, head in her hands. Daryl softened, "hey, try to get more sleep," he said gently.

It was likely a combination of several things, perpetuated by lack of sleep but Carol suddenly found herself crying. When she lifted her face out of her hands Daryl saw the tears. "Oh shit, I'm sorry, I was just joking," he stammered.

"No, it's not you, you're great," she started babbling. "I'm just tired and my stomach hurts and I'm so sick of throwing up, and... I want to go to sleep, but I want someone to hold me... But I'm all yucky and I smell, and you wouldn't want to lay here with me, and I don't even think I can help you up..." her voice trailed off when she saw Daryl push himself up onto his good leg. "What are you doing?" Carol said, eyes wide.

"I'm going to lay in bed and hold you," he stated matter of factly, turning himself around and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"But... You don't need my help? And I smell..." Carol wasn't sure which statement was more important at that point.

"I still need your help for some things," Daryl carefully lifted his casted leg into bed, "just not this." He lay back onto the pillow, "C'mere." Carol hesitated. "It doesn't bother me, just lay down."

She settled comfortably against his hard body. They had slept in that exact position, many times now, but she had never felt so secure. Carol felt like a sick child, needing the comfort of a parent. For once, there was nothing sexual going on. It was pure and simple security, mentally and physically.

Even after she woke to get sick once more a couple hours later Daryl remained by her side. He wiped her face and calmed her until she fell asleep again. The next time Carol woke she knew it was morning, maybe even closer to noon. Daryl and the wheelchair were gone. She touched the bed where he had slept beside her and smiled. Her stomach felt better but she was still so tired. Carol fumbled for a drink of water and decided to go back to sleep and wait for Daryl to return.

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When Daryl had woke up that morning Carol was still asleep. It was the first time she had slept more than a couple hours without getting sick. Daryl was pretty confident that she was finally done with the puking so he decided to head out and check on the others.

The first person he ran into was Carl. "Hey, how's your dad?"

"Better," Carl replied. "He's awake right now, if you wanna go see him. I'm just getting him a drink."

Daryl nodded and entered Rick's cell. "Wow, you look like shit," Daryl said with a laugh.

"And you're one lucky son of a bitch," Rick replied. He shifted slightly and his face contorted in pain. "I think I shit razor blades for 4 hours straight."

Daryl had so many smart ass comments about Rick's ass and a prison but he decided to let them slide for the time being. "Carol's still sleeping, but she don't look much better than you."

Rick looked confused. "You stayed in the wheelchair all night?" Daryl shook his head. "Then how? Wait... You can get in and out yourself?" Rick grinned at him. "You don't need her to help you? Yet she's still sleeping in your cell?"

"Fuck off," Daryl replied. "She was sick, I did what I had to do."

"Does she know?" Daryl nodded again in reply. "Hmm," Rick said.

"Hmm?" Daryl repeated. "What the fuck does Hmm mean?"

"Nothin'," Rick shrugged innocently. "Just, hmm. Interesting."

"Pfft," Daryl snorted. "Don't think too much, your brain's probably lacking oxygen as it is." Rick smiled back politely. "Fuck man, this probably isn't the time you want a bolt up your ass!" Rick continued to grin but didn't say anything. "Well, I'm leaving," Daryl snapped. "Glad you're not dead," he said wheeling out the door. "I think..." he added under his breath.

"Thanks for the visit," Rick called after him. "It was enlightening."

Daryl stuck his hand back in and flipped him the bird. They were both laughing as Daryl headed off down the hallway.

Daryl checked on a few others including Beth, Hershel, and Mika. Carol had a soft spot for Mika and her older sister Lizzie, so he knew she would be asking about her. They were all pretty much the same. They looked terrible, were exhausted, but felt a lot better than the night before. Mika asked if she could give him a hug to pass on to Carol so he let the little blonde girl wrap her tiny arms around him. She had to stand up and hug him in the wheelchair, confirming that she cared a lot for Carol to make such an effort. Daryl promised her that as soon as Carol was well enough he would bring her for a visit. Mika was pleased and he noticed Lizzie's face light up at the suggestion as well.

The girls had lost their mom, and while they still had a dad who loved them deeply, Daryl understood their need for a same sex parental figure. There wasn't anyone better they could look up to than Carol.

Daryl grabbed a few supplies, placed them on his lap and carefully headed back to check on Carol.

She was awake when he rolled into the room. She looked at him and managed a tired smile. Daryl felt that damn flutter in his chest again. "Every fuckin time she smiles at me," he thought.

"I brought a few things. Water so you can brush your teeth, and I'm doubting you're up for a shower yet so I have some soap and warm water."

He moved closer and offered her help to sit up. Daryl got her toothbrush ready and watched as she brushed her teeth. It was funny watching someone else do the same thing you do everyday but doing it so differently. You wouldn't think there were that many different tooth brushing techniques.

When she was done he poured the warm water into the basin Carol had been using for his baths. He had brought the water back in a big jug with a lid so he wouldn't spill it.

Daryl dipped in a clean cloth and soaped it up for her. He wrung it and handed it to Carol. She washed her face and neck slowly. He noticed she struggled just to lift her arms high enough to wash her face. Carol handed him back the cloth and stood on shaky legs. He was about to turn away while she undressed but Carol stumbled and he had to grab her before she fell. "Sit down," he ordered gently. "Let me help you."

Carol obeyed and he wheeled closer to the bed. He carefully helped her remove her shirt. She had gone to bed fully clothed from the day before so she was still wearing a bra. Daryl felt his heartbeat pick up. He tried unsuccessfully not to stare at her boobs. When he finally pulled his gaze away he realized Carol was watching him. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"It's only going to get worse, trust me," she said with a smile. Carol turned to give him access to the clasp on her bra. Daryl froze. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, when he suggested he would help her wash but now he wasn't so sure. "I can barely keep myself in check when she's wearing clothes. How the fuck am I going to survive this?" He wondered. He had seen her almost naked before. He had touched her and felt her perfect breasts in his hands. But this was different. He wasn't supposed to be thinking about fucking her, yet that was the only thing on his mind.

Sucking in a deep breath he undid the clasp. Daryl watched as she let the straps fall down off her shoulders. She was still turned away from him, so the only thing he could see was her bare back. Daryl reached for the cloth and started to gently wash her shoulders. When he had finished her back Daryl paused and Carol slowly turned to face him. She had her arms crossed in front, covering her breasts. She met his eyes with her stare and then let her arms fall away to her sides. Daryl realized he must have looked a bit panicked because he saw a hint of a smile in her eyes and then she nodded slightly to let him know it was okay to look, and okay to touch her.

Daryl let his eyes drift slowly away from hers and took in the beautiful sight before him. He felt like an adolescent boy seeing his first set of titties as his cock responded instantly. He chided himself again for being so aroused when Carol was sick and exhausted, but the longer his eyes lingered on her breasts the less chance he had of calming himself down. It took everything he had to keep from bending his head down and taking one of her perfect nipples into his mouth. He could still remember how good it had felt and the sounds she had made. He finally tore his gaze away long enough to rinse the cloth and then got back to the task at hand.

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The way Daryl was staring at her made Carol forget how terrible she had felt the night before and how tired she still felt. It made her forget that it was broad daylight outside and there was a chance someone could stop by at any time. It made her forget everything, possibly even her own name.

When he finally touched her again with the warm cloth she shivered with anticipation and desire. It became quite obvious that he was trying to avoid her breasts so Carol placed her hand over his and guided him to exactly where she wanted him to caress.

Her nipples were hard long before he got close but as he rubbed the cloth over them Carol felt a wave of desire rush to her core.

When Daryl was finished washing the front of her Carol stood up again. She was still shaky so Daryl held her arm while she wiggled out of her pants. The only part of her he hadn't seen before was the only part still covered. Before she lost her nerve Carol quickly slid off her underwear.

"Oh fuck," she heard Daryl whisper under his breath. She noticed he had squeezed his eyes shut, but he would have to open them eventually. She eased back onto the bed and lay down, naked, waiting for him to finish.

When Daryl opened his eyes he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Carol wished she could just tear his clothes off and fuck the erection she knew was there. She felt her face flush at the thought. Carol wondered again how she could be so aroused when she thought she was going to die a few hours ago.

Daryl had the cloth and was starting to wash her legs from the bottom up. Carol couldn't stand it, she wanted him to touch her so badly. As he moved the cloth up towards her knee she drew her legs up and spread open her thighs. Daryl groaned and froze. "Please?" She begged him.

He started to object, "Fuck, you're tired and sick..."

Carol reached for the cloth and took it from him. She wiped herself with it while he watched and then tossed it aside. Then she grabbed his hand and guided it, "Please," she asked again. "Touch me."

Carol was wet with desire and she immediately shuddered with pleasure as Daryl's hand made contact with her delicate skin. "Christ, you're so fucking wet," he groaned, slipping a finger inside her. He withdrew it and added a second finger too, then found her clit with his thumb. He massaged it gently while drawing his fingers in and out slowly. Carol was so aroused it took less than a minute. She felt a dizzying wave of pleasure hit her like nothing she had experienced in a very long time. She clutched the sheets with both hands and bit her lip to keep from crying out as her inner muscles clenched around Daryl's fingers.

When it was over and she opened her eyes, Daryl was still watching her. "Thank you," she said gently.

He shrugged, "Well I guess now we're definitely even." He grabbed her clean clothes, "So let's get you dressed before I end up unevening the score."


	13. Chapter 13

The air was chilly as the sun made it's first appearance of the day. Carol wrapped her jacket a little tighter around herself and fought off a shiver. She enjoyed sitting outside, especially early in the morning when it was so quiet and peaceful. Her favorite guard rotation was the one that took her to sun rise.

Carol wasn't on guard rotation though, she was simply enjoying the stillness of the morning, lost in thought. The food poisoning had taken her a few days to fully recover. But that was well over a week ago now and she was thankful to have that moment in the past. There was another moment of her life that would soon be in the past as well, and potential new beginnings. While she was looking forward to one of them, albeit incredibly nervous, the other was something she was not ready for. Not at all.

Michonne came strolling out from the prison and Carol barely noticed her take a seat. "Big day today, huh?" Michonne said.

"Pardon?" Carol had head her but spoke before the words had registered. "Oh, yes. It's been a long 6 weeks for Daryl, he's really excited." Carol forced a smile.

"Don't," Michonne shook her head. "You don't have to pretend you're okay, not for me anyway." Carol lifted her head and looked into Michonne's deep brown eyes. She immediately recognized her own fears mirrored there, reflecting back at her. "I'm scared too."

Carol breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh thank God someone else understands." This time when she smiled it was genuine. "I just know as soon as he can walk normally again, a week, two at the most, he'll be right back out there." Carol paused while Michonne nodded in agreement. "And I know he can take care of himself, really I do, but every time he leaves I'm going to be terrified. Terrified that this time it will be far worse than a broken leg." Carol felt the tears sting her eyes, "I just can't lose him...Not now. Not ever..." She took a deep breath and continued. Michonne recognized her need to get it out and just listened. "I haven't fooled myself into thinking he'll never face danger again. It's simply part of life now, I know that. I'm just not ready yet, ya know? I just wish we could live like normal people, for a little while."

"We are normal people," Michonne said gently. "As much as it sucks, what we do here, everyday, I think it's about as normal as life gets in this world."

Carol nodded, she knew she was right. "Tell me why you're scared then?"

Michonne smiled. Carol knew it wasn't easy for Michonne to admit fear. "I'm scared I'm going to screw up, because of Daryl, and that he will get hurt again because of it. Or someone else." Carol gave her a look of confusion, asking for explanation. "I'm scared I'll be paying so much attention to him that I won't be properly protecting the others, or myself. And then he will have to risk himself even more to protect me and whoever else is on the run." Carol understood. "I have even considered not going with him on the first few until I'm more confident that he'll be just fine, but if something happened.. And I wasn't there..." her voiced trailed off but she had said enough.

"What a pair we make," Carol said with a laugh. "I guess we take it day by day, right?"

"Right," Michonne agreed. She stood up as Maggie and Glenn approached. "I'm supposed to be on guard with Tyreese," she explained.

"Hey, before you go," Carol stopped her. "If you ever need to talk, I hope you know I'm here."

"I do, thanks." She started to leave and called back over her shoulder, "Wish him luck today, tell him I said break a leg!" They both laughed at the joke.

Carol was feeling a bit better, at least about that part of the situation. But there was still the fact that soon, very soon, there would be nothing stopping them from taking their relationship to the next level.

Carol heard Maggie tell Glenn to go ahead without her. "Hey, did you want to be alone or could you use some company?"

Carol liked that Maggie gave her the choice. She had been looking for alone time at first, but after getting things out in the open with Michonne Carol realized that talking really helped her feel better. "No, sit down. Please. I would love some company."

Maggie sat down beside her. "So? Are you excited?"

Carol thought back to her last conversation with Maggie and quickly realized that she was talking about what might happen after Daryl got the cast off, rather than just the removal of the cast itself. "Yes," Carol said, with a slight blush. "Nervous as hell though."

"Oh, don't be! It's going to be wonderful, I know it," Maggie said confidently. She leaned in and whispered, even though there was no one around to hear, "if you need anything, you know, like condoms, just let me know. We have lots."

Carol felt her cheeks get warm again. "Uh, I don't think we'll be needing those. I'm pretty sure if Daryl has an STD I would know about it by now." Carol looked down, "and I can't get pregnant. After Sophia, there were some complications. They were going to do surgery to try to fix things but I didn't want to bring another child into the world with Ed, and I never saw myself leaving him either..." Carol took a deep breath, "I told them to just do a hysterectomy. Ed never even knew."

"I'm so sorry," Maggie said, putting a hand gently on her arm.

"It's okay. After losing Sophia, I would have a really hard time bringing another child into this world anyway." Carol smiled, "I'll get my baby fix from Judith for now and maybe from others... In the future..."

Maggie smiled back at her, "We'll see." Maggie yawned, "I guess I should go get some sleep." She leaned over and hugged Carol, "I'm so excited for you guys."

After Maggie left Carol figured it was time to get breakfast and head back to find Daryl. Hershel would be ready to take the cast off pretty soon. Carol's stomach tied itself into one big knot and she decided she would skip breakfast, but headed off to find something for Daryl.

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Rick had stopped by to see Daryl first thing that morning. Carol had already left, which wasn't strange by any means, he knew she would be back later, likely with his breakfast.

Daryl had been awake for a while before Rick showed up. He actually hadn't slept well at all the night before. The excitement of getting the cast off had kept him awake initially but he could have got over that and fallen asleep eventually. What had really kept him up was thinking about Carol.

She already knew he really didn't need her help to get around anymore, even with the cast on, but she had stayed with him anyway. Once the cast was off though and he could walk again, what would happen then? She didn't need to stay with him anymore, so would she leave? Daryl had got used to having her around and he wasn't sure he was ready for that to change. Carol knew when to give him space, when he needed to talk, and when he wanted to listen.

But if she stayed it would change the status of their relationship in the minds of every one else. Were they ready for that? At this point they both had certainly acknowledged they were more than friends. And there were more than a few of their closest friends who already knew that. But that almighty confirmation was something entirely different.

Then there was the fact that by the end of the week, maybe a few days at the most, there would be nothing stopping them from having sex. Daryl was looking forward to that more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. But he was also incredibly nervous.

Rick easily picked up on his nerves. "Man, you look like you're going to puke, what's up?"

"Just nervous about gettin' this thing off," Daryl said with as much conviction as he could muster.

Unfortunately Rick knew him way better than that. "Liar," he said, taking a seat. "How about you tell me what's really on your mind, because I have a pretty good idea already."

There were only 2 people in the world he would open up to about pretty much anything: Rick and Carol. But it had taken a long, long, time to develop that kind of relationship. And the topic of discussion was not something they had ever got into beyond a little of the typical teasing between guy friends.

"Okay, if you're not going to talk, I'll just start guessing. I'm pretty good at this, made me a good cop." Rick paused to give him the chance to speak but Daryl decided it might be more fun to see what he came up with. "So I have seen you everyday since Carol moved in here and I can tell you're a love sick pup." Daryl started to interject but Rick shushed him. "I can also tell that you haven't got laid yet. Which doesn't surprise me, given your present condition. So I'm thinking you're worried about taking the next step once you get the cast off." Rick grinned at the look of shock on Daryl's face. "And that look tells me I hit the nail on the head! Bam!"

"What makes you so sure I haven't got laid yet?" Daryl asked, mostly out of curiosity since he really couldn't deny it.

Rick shrugged, "You've never had the look."

"What look?"

"The look of a man who just had the night of his life. Ya know, that stupid smile. The air of confidence. The extra burst of testosterone. All that stuff." Rick paused for a moment. "I know the look, and you never had it. Besides, you're nervous. If you already slept with her it wouldn't make that much difference without the cast."

Daryl gave a defeated sigh and before his more guarded side had a chance to stop him he started talking. "It's not like we haven't done stuff. Things. But man, it's been a really, realllllly long time." Daryl felt his face flush but he continued. "What if I'm like one and done or somethin'?"

Rick chuckled. "We've all been there. Don't worry about it. You just impress her the next time."

Daryl snorted, "If there is a next time after that." He looked at Rick, "I just don't want her thinkin' I'm a total virgin, ya know?"

"She'll understand," Rick countered. "Women are very good at empathy, especially Carol. You think she won't be just as nervous? Just as insecure as you?" Daryl perked up slightly at that thought. He actually hadn't considered the fact that she would be nervous too. "You love her. I don't know if you've told her that yet, but she knows, if she lets herself believe it, that is. Just show her you love her, or tell her if you're ready to. After that, everything will be fine."

Rick left shortly after that, giving Daryl some alone time to think. He was lost in thought when Carol returned.

"Mornin'," she said pleasantly. "I brought you food but Hershel's ready for you if you'd rather just get it over with right away?"

Daryl eyed the plate and grabbed a granola bar. "I'll eat this on the way." He really did want to get it over with. He honestly didn't understand why he couldn't just cut the damn thing off himself but Hershel wanted to make sure everything healed properly, including the wound.

When they got to Hershel's makeshift OR he was waiting for them. He cut the cast off while Daryl sat in the wheelchair, then he and Carol helped him up onto the table to be examined. Daryl couldn't believe how much the first step hurt. Not in the same way it had when it was broken, but it was stiff and felt like the worse case of pins and needles he had ever had. Once he was lying flat on his back he started to experiment, wiggling his toes, moving his ankle. They weren't too bad, but his knee was so stiff he could only bend it slightly.

Hershel noticed what he was doing. "It'll be a couple days before it feels anywhere close to normal. But even by tonight you should be able to bend that knee and a lot of the pain will be gone." He removed the bandage over the wound and smiled. "Looks really good. Just gonna remove those stitches..." Daryl heard the snips and felt a little tugging as Hershel pulled out the stitches.

Daryl felt Carol slide her hand into his and squeeze. He looked up at her and wished he hadn't. She was being all damn girly and had tears in her eyes. Daryl shot her a look and she just smiled at him.

Hershel started talking again and saved him. "Take it slow. I actually don't think it's a bad idea to have Carol stay, at least one more night, until that leg gets a bit stronger." They both nodded solemnly at him, acting as if it wasn't what they both had wanted anyway. "But everything looks great." Hershel looked at Carol, "Now go get him showered." Then to Daryl, "you stink."

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There were a couple shower areas to choose from but only one that had separate stalls and you could lock the main doors. Daryl preferred to shower there so that was where they headed, even though it was a bit further. He agreed to use the wheelchair since they had a long walk. It surprised Carol that he agreed so easily but it also suggested to her that walking was probably more painful than he had expected.

They grabbed shower stuff and a change of clothes on the way. It worked out well because it was a shower day for Carol anyway, so once she got him organized she figured she could have her own shower in the next stall.

It was late enough in the morning that most people would have showered already anyway, so it wasn't surprising that the room was empty. Carol locked the doors behind them and took soap and shampoo into the first stall. Daryl was already getting undressed on his own. It was strange to see him standing up and doing things that he hadn't been able to do for some time.

It became obvious that his balance wasn't great yet, so Carol helped him finish undressing and carefully led him to the stall. "You ok if I go shower in the next one?"

Daryl nodded and turned on the shower. Carol couldn't help sneaking another glance at him before she left. He really did have the nicest ass she had ever seen and it took great restraint to continue leaving and not go back and touch it. She forced her feet to move and pulled the curtain closed after she stepped out.

Carol quickly removed her clothes and got in her own shower stall. She turned on the water and stepped under the spray. It had been hard at first to get used to the cold water, but after so long without hot water you got used to the cold, as if it was all you had ever had. She was just reaching for the shampoo when she heard a clunk and Daryl muttered, "fuck."

"You okay?" she asked loudly. It hadn't sounded like he slipped or anything, so she wasn't overly concerned.

"I dropped the damn soap trying to reach my leg and now I can't get it," he grumbled in reply.

Carol turned off her shower, saving water, even if it wasn't much, and slipped out of her stall and into his without considering the fact that they were now both naked. She knew it shouldn't matter, they had seen each other naked before but she quickly realized this was the first time they had both been completely nude at the same time. Carol watched his eyes drift over her body and couldn't help but reciprocate. When he realized where her eyes seemed to be focused Daryl spoke up, "the water is cold, really cold." She smiled in response thinking it was still far bigger than Ed's.

The stall wasn't very big and when she took another step forward, they were almost touching. She saw the bar of soap in the corner but in order for her to get to it she had to brush by Daryl. Their skin made contact as they slid past one another. Carol felt her heart thud, just from the slightest contact. She wanted to turn around into his embrace and run her hands all over his wet body. But she had a better idea. Carol bent over directly in front of him to pick up the bar. Her ass was mere inches from touching him and she was pretty sure he had a damn good view, of everything.

Carol took her time picking up the soap. Once she was standing up she purposely dropped it again. "Whoops," she said over her shoulder, with a wicked smile.

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The first time she had bent over Daryl was pretty sure his cock instantly doubled in size. But after that smile, knowing she was purposely trying to drive him crazy, he was completely hard. Ice cold water from the Arctic ocean wouldn't have done a thing to him.

Carol was bent over, directly in front of him. He only had to lean forward and the tip of his dick would be exactly where it had been trying to get to for weeks. She lingered, taunting him, letting him decide but giving him lots of time to make his decision.

Daryl reached out and put his hands on her hips. He felt dizzy and touching her skin only made it worse. His heart was pounding so hard the thud filled his head and he couldn't hear anything but the rhythmic thumping. Carol wanted him, just as badly as he wanted her. He moved closer and closer until the tip of his penis grazed her sweet, delicate skin. His entire body reacted with a shudder and goosebumps prickled him everywhere.

All he had to do was push, just one tiny movement... But something stopped him and Daryl pulled away. He released her hips and Carol stood up, soap in hand, realizing he had made his choice. Seeing a tiny hint of disappointment in her eyes Daryl grabbed her and pulled her against his body, seeking out her mouth with his. He kissed her softly at first, but then more passionately. The taste of her almost made him lose control again and he had to pull away. "Not like this," Daryl said in explanation. Carol nodded; she understood.

"Soap," she said with a smile, presenting it to him.

Daryl took it but realized he still needed help. "Since you're here... I can't really reach..." Carol took the bar back and sunk to her knees to wash the bottom of his legs. "Um, one sec," he said hoarsely. Daryl turned around and let her work from behind him. There was no way in hell he was going to survive having her face at waist level in his current state of arousal. It was going to be hard enough to survive her hands soaping up his legs.

Somehow he managed, barely, and Carol left to finish her shower while he finished his. Daryl seriously considered finishing something else as well, but he decided against it. They had already used more than their share of water.

Half an hour later they were in the lunch room and Daryl was surrounded by people asking how he was doing. He knew it was going to happen eventually so he did his best to get through the attention without going completely insane.

As usual Carol saved him, eventually. It was their turn on guard. He went down in the wheelchair but made a point of doing as much walking as he could while they checked the perimeter and such. It hurt like hell at first but close to the end of their shift Daryl was surprised by how much better it was feeling.

The rest of the day flew by and when bedtime rolled around Daryl was feeling rather tired.

He got himself comfortable in bed but he noticed Carol was gathering things up. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

She spoke, but didn't look at him. "Oh I just figured I should get some stuff ready to go... Since I'll be moving back to my cell soon."

"Carol," he said gently. "Is that what you want?"

She stopped and turned, "No," she shook her head. "I don't think so." She managed a smile, "But I should go, right?"

"I don't know. You don't have to..." His voice trailed off. "I don't want you to," he whispered, barely audible.

"You don't?" She sounded excited and insecure at the same time. "What about the others? You ready to deal with that?"

Daryl sighed. "Let's decide in the morning, ok?" He motioned for her to come closer. "I know tonight is not the night, not yet. But maybe this will be the last night that we take each other as far as we can go without actually having sex." She was standing in front of him, close enough to grab, so he did. "We may never get this chance again. Let's be masochists one last time." Daryl pushed up her shirt and pulled down her pants and underwear just enough to kiss her stomach below her belly button.

They shared themselves in ways they never had before. Exploring, learning, teaching, and comforting each other over and over again.

When it got to be too much; when they reached the point of retreat, they both realized it at exactly the same time.

Carol curled up against him and fell asleep. Daryl stroked her shoulder and just watched her for a few minutes. He was really tired, but she mesmerized him. She was so beautiful and peaceful when she slept in his arms.

Daryl felt a pang in the pit of his stomach, reminding him that something amazing was ending that night. But it also meant something new was beginning and he knew it would be even more special than anything they had ever shared. Fatigue finally took over and soon Daryl was snoring softly.


	14. Chapter 14

For the first time in close to two months Carol was finally cooking again. Now that Daryl wasn't dependent on her they had started to resume their old schedules a little at a time. It meant going from spending 90% of their time together to only seeing each other at meals and in passing during the day. Carol knew that's a huge part of why she hadn't made the move from his cell back to her own. It had been 4 days since his cast had been removed and although she had slept on her own, other than the night the cast was removed, she was still there.

Daryl hadn't pressured her, one way or the other, but she knew how he felt. Although, the teasing hadn't started yet, to the best of her knowledge, and perhaps that would change his mind. He was a private person and it was not easy to be private living in such close quarters. Carol knew everyone realized there was something going on between them but she was pretty sure, other than their core group, they were too nervous of Daryl's reaction to tease him. They also respected him, a great deal, which helped.

Carol was getting things ready for supper, way in advance, because that left her the rest of the afternoon free to do whatever she wanted. She continued to chop vegetables when something caught her attention. Tyreese and Karen were walking by and she was positive she heard him say that Daryl was going on the run with him the next day. When she heard Karen's reply she knew she had heard correctly, "oh so soon? Do you think he's ready?"

Before Tyreese could reply Carol rushed over and interrupted, "Did I just hear you say that Daryl is going on a run? Tomorrow?" Tyreese looked stunned at the interruption but nodded, giving her confirmation.

Without another word Carol spun on her heal and stormed off. She heard Tyreese calling after her, "Carol, wait..." but she ignored him. Rick and Michonne were on guard and she had a word or two for the both of them.

As soon as they were within ear shot she started yelling, "you're letting him go on a run?! Tomorrow?!"

Rick looked startled at first, but as soon as he realized what she was talking about his face changed. He seemed almost prepared. "Carol, calm down. It's just a really quick run. In and out. Simple."

Carol's eyes flashed with anger. "Nothing is simple anymore," she hissed. "He's only had the cast off for 4 damn days!" Without missing a beat she turned to Michonne, "Are you ok with this?" she asked, her body shaking with anger.

"No, I'm not," she replied. "But it wasn't my decision. The only thing I can do is go with them and make sure it goes smoothly."

Carol turned her attention back to Rick and was about to start yelling again when he interrupted her and forced her to let him speak. "Listen to me," he started. "Listen," he said more forcefully, grabbing her shoulders carefully, trying to get her to calm down. "There's a house, it's only 3-4 miles away. Really close. Daryl is only driving. The only way I agreed to let him go was if he promised he would stay in the car. Michonne and Tyreese are going in to grab some stuff we didn't have room for the last time we were there. Quick. Easy. They'll be back in the matter of an hour."

Carol shook her head and backed away. "Once you go past those gates nothing is easy. He's not ready." I'm not ready, she added in her mind. "Where is he?" Carol asked as she continued to back away.

"Shooting, at the range," Michonne answered. "I'm sorry," she called out at Carol's back. "I thought you knew."

Carol found him just where Michonne said he would be. "Shouldn't you be practicing your driving, rather than shooting?" she asked, startling him.

Daryl turned around. "Oh you heard," he said quietly.

"Yes. Just when were you planning on telling me?" she put her hands on her hips. Before he could answer she continued, "You're not going. It's too soon."

"I was going to tell you tonight and yes, I am going," he stated, calmly.

Anger flashed in her eyes, "It's too dangerous. I know you're doing well but it's been 4 days Daryl, 4 days! You could at least wait a week or two."

"What difference is another 3 days going to make?" His voice had an edge to it. He was obviously reacting to her anger. "It's always dangerous, I know that." Daryl paused briefly and added "besides, I can take care of myself."

His words stung. Carol had no idea if he meant them the way she was interpreting but at that point she didn't care. Her eyes welled up with tears and she spoke before she couldn't talk anymore, "good to know." She turned and took off as fast as she could.

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"Oh fuck! Carol, wait," he called after her. You are one stupid sumbitch Dixon, he thought. Daryl quickly gathered the bolts he had shot and started off after her. He hadn't meant it the way she took it. He only meant that he was capable of protecting himself, from walkers.

All he could picture was the painful look on her face and her blue eyes filling up with tears. He had to find her and apologize. She had quite the head start and was obviously faster than him for the time being, so Daryl had no idea which direction she had gone once she rounded the corner.

He didn't see her so he assumed she had gone into the prison but before he could take another step Sasha came jogging towards him. "Hey, we need your help," she said. "There's a huge build up at the East fence. Rick sent me to find you."

Daryl sighed and looked towards the prison. He really wanted to say no and go look for Carol. But protecting the fence was essential, he knew that. It would have to wait. "Go ahead, I'll be there as fast as I can."

Daryl pulled out his knife and instead of following Carol he headed in the direction Sasha had run off in. He could see as he got close that the build up was bad. Maggie, Glenn, Bob, Rick and Michonne were already hard at work and Sasha was just joining them. Daryl found a spot and started stabbing walkers.

It took over an hour for the 7 of them to get the walkers down to a safe number. By that time Tyreese, Karen, Zach and Caleb had joined them to help. Sasha, Glenn and Maggie led the rest of the walkers away, banging on the fence to draw their attention. Bob and Tyreese offered to gather the bodies for burning and Zach decided to help as well. Rick and Michonne were tired from guard duty and started slowly back towards the prison.

Daryl walked with them for a minute but they were going way too slow. "There's something I gotta do," he said in explanation and took off as fast as his legs were capable of.

The obvious first place to look was his cell. Daryl hoped he would find her there, quietly reading a book, or knitting something. Those were things she did to calm herself. When he stepped into his cell his heart sank. It looked so empty. Her bed was gone and so were all of her things. He saw something on the nightstand so he walked over to see what it was. There was a note and on top was the jasper necklace. Daryl picked it up and slipped it into his pocket while he read the short note:

You need this more than I do.

C

"Aw nah you don't," he muttered. Daryl had an idea, and set off to start his plan in motion.

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When Carol left Daryl at the range she headed straight for his cell. She waited, assuming he would show up soon after her. When he didn't come she let herself cry harder, but only for a minute. The anger resurfaced and she found herself grabbing everything she could carry and making several trips to her own cell.

Before the last trip she wrote him the note and took off the necklace. She didn't want to give it back, not at all. She loved it and everything it represented. But she wanted to hurt him, plain and simple. She wanted him to feel even just a little of the pain she was feeling. She knew it was mean. She also knew they would work things out. They were too close to let this be the end. Unless he dies on the damn run tomorrow, she thought. But all she could think about were his words and how bad they stung. And also the fact that he was still going to go, even though she was dead set against it.

It didn't take her long to get her cell set up nicely. She put the foam on top of her mattress to make it more comfortable. It would be a small consolation to not having Daryl available to snuggle with.

A couple hours later Carol was absorbed in her knitting when Rick appeared. "Here you are," he said. "I need your help with something. Can you come now?"

Carol set the knitting aside and stood up. "Sure... What's up?"

He started to lead the way as he spoke, "We found a supply room with a bunch of kitchen stuff. I just want you to see what you would like to keep and we're going to find other uses for the rest."

Carol thought they had already searched the prison pretty thoroughly but shrugged her shoulders and followed anyway. He led her far away from the areas she was familiar with, to a part of the prison she was pretty sure she had never been. "Is this area secure?" she asked nervously. Carol was thinking about when T-Dog had died saving her life.

"Oh yeah, Daryl and I secured this area a while ago," Rick said confidently. Finally he stopped in front of a door and swung it open. "Right in here," he said. "Ladies first," he said with a bright smile, gesturing her in.

Carol rolled her eyes but smiled at the chivalrous act. She stepped into the room and immediately heard the door close behind her. She spun around but didn't see Rick behind her. "Rick? What the hell?" she called out. Where she stood the room was dark, but she could see a soft glow up ahead, coming from around the corner. She looked back at the door but curiosity got the better of her and she walked forward to peek around the wall.

Carol gasped at the sight before her. The room was glowing because it was lit with candles, lots and lots of candles. There was a bed in the corner, a real bed. Not a lumpy cot or chunks of foam with pillows, it was a real bed, with a frame, box spring, everything.

Before she could take another step a set of arms wrapped around her from behind. Normally she would have jumped, or screamed, but Carol simply smiled. "I'm sorry," a voice whispered in her ear. His breath was warm and it sent chills through her body. She leaned back into his embrace to let him know she accepted the apology.

Carol had not meant to let him off so easily. When she planned it earlier in her mind, it was going to take a lot of groveling. But everything he had done, planned out, just for her... How could she possibly stay mad at him for even another second?

Carol turned to face him. She immediately noticed what he was wearing. There was no cut off shirt, no ripped jeans, no gun, or crossbow attached to him anywhere. He was wearing a clean pair of jeans, likely designers from the semi they had emptied months ago, and a white long sleeved tee that fit tightly, showing off his muscular frame. The room was carpeted and he was in bare feet. Daryl had obviously showered, she could smell the soap, and his hair was combed neatly.

Before she could speak he held something out to her. It was a gorgeous midnight blue dress. Flowing, but short, with accents that sparkled in the candle light. "This is about as dressy as I get but I thought you might want to wear this, for dinner..." He blushed slightly, "you don't have to... Only if you want to..."

She took the dress and held it up to herself. She knew it would be a perfect fit. "How did you do this?" she breathed, looking up at him with a goofy grin on her face.

"I had some help. Michonne mostly. But she has a big mouth so Rick, Glenn and Maggie are in on it too." He pointed at the dress, "that was Maggie's idea."

"I wanna put it on," Carol said. "I've never wore anything this beautiful in my entire life."

"Just let me know when you're ready," Daryl said, going around the corner by the door.

She took off her clothes quickly, silently cursing herself for not picking out a nicer pair of panties. If only she had known... Carol had a wicked thought and slipped out of her underwear as well. The dress was fitted in the breast area so she was able to remove her bra too.

Carol thought she was going to have to get Daryl's help to zip but she was just flexible enough to get the zipper to the top. The dress fit her perfectly, as if it was made for her. It hung to mid thigh, showing off a lot of leg and it was cut low in the front to show a hint of cleavage. Carol smiled. She felt incredibly sexy. She was barefoot like Daryl and although the dress likely needed a pair of heels it still felt right.

"Okay I'm ready," she called out quietly.

Daryl appeared around the corner and she could tell he approved. "Holy fuck," he breathed. "I definitely owe Maggie one."

He approached her and circled around behind for a look. Carol felt herself blush, she wasn't used to this kind of attention. Daryl leaned in and nuzzled her neck and whispered, "why is it when a woman puts on a dress like this all a guy can think of is getting it off?"

He kissed the bare skin on her shoulder and nipped at her neck. Carol closed her eyes and sighed softly. He trailed a finger up her arm as he moved to the front of her. Daryl leaned in and moved towards her lips. Before he kissed her he spoke softly, "I love you." Without giving her a chance to answer he captured her lips in a warm kiss. Carol's head was spinning, she couldn't believe what she had just heard. But as she got caught up in the kiss she couldn't focus on anything but how good it felt.

Before things got too heated they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "That must be dinner," Daryl said and went to answer it.

Daryl was followed back around the corner by a wheeled cart covered in food, pushed by Glenn. He was wearing a white apron and chef hat.

Carol giggled. This is definitely going to be a night to remember, she thought.


	15. Chapter 15

_So this is likely the one a lot of you have been waiting for. Thank you a million times over for staying with me this long. It means so much! I'm super nervous I haven't done this the justice it deserves. If it's at all disappointing I'm terribly sorry. I'm also blushing like crazy as I always do when I'm about to post smut! _

_It would only allow me to select M as the highest rating but this is definitely an MA chapter. So if you're not into that - don't read this one. _

"Wow Carol, holy, you look hot," Glenn complimented her as he wheeled his way towards the table that was set up. She blushed like crazy, suddenly questioning her idea to lose the panties, even though she knew he'd have no idea. If the ogling Daryl had been doing wasn't enough already, having someone other than him in the room made her fully aware of how little material she was wearing. Carol watched as Glenn and Daryl exchanged one of those guy-looks that left them both smiling.

"Come, come, sit down lovely lady," Glenn said, pulling the chair out and waving to her seat. He was really playing the part and Carol couldn't help but smile. Glenn was a great guy and she adored him fiercely.

When they were both seated Glenn presented the food. "And for the lady we have venison steak, medium well, a baked potato and grilled asparagus." He set the plate in front of Carol. "For the gentleman..." Glenn snickered before continuing, "We have, well, pretty much the same thing." He set Daryl's plate down.

Glenn picked up two wine glasses filled with Dark liquid. "And to drink we have a lovely merlot from southern Cali..." He leaned in and whispered, "it's actually welches grape juice, but feel free to pretend."

Glenn stepped back and bowed. "Enjoy." When he didn't leave Daryl glared at him. "Tip..." he replied, grinning at Daryl.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Get out!" Glenn left with a laugh. "And lock that door behind you," he called out after him.

Carol looked down at her plate. They usually got tiny portions but tonight the plate was full. Her belly growled at the sight and they both started to eat.

They made small talk over dinner but as the food slowly started to disappear Carol found the butterflies in her stomach started fluttering faster. She couldn't finish her dinner so Daryl ate the rest. Carol was glad because it always made her feel guilty to waste food when there was so little to go around.

Daryl wiped his hands on the cloth napkins Glenn had brought for them. Carol smiled to herself, she was used to his usual finger licking after a meal but in this case she was glad they had napkins. She wasn't sure she could handle watching him lick his fingers without wanting to take him to the bed to fuck him immediately.

Daryl stood up and walked over, offering her a hand. "Dance?"

"There's no music," she said with a laugh but Carol took his hand anyway.

Daryl pulled her into his embrace and started to move to the non existent music. "I have this memory from when I was a kid, I musta been really young, not more than 4 or 5. It's the only good memory I have of my parents together," Daryl began. Carol looked up at him as he continued, "I was supposed to be in bed but I was thirsty. So I came downstairs to find a drink and my parents were in the living room. They were dancing and my dad was humming softly." Daryl smiled, "he was a fucking asshole, but in that moment he was happy and so was she." Daryl shook his head, "he probably beat the shit out of her the next morning, but that one moment will stay with me my entire life."

Carol snuggled in closer. She remembered a time when Daryl never spoke of his family beyond Merle. That had changed the year before when he finally told her about his scars. She had known about them since the day Andrea had shot him, when she took him food in bed. But Carol never asked. She knew he would tell her, in his own time. And he had. She was glad he shared things with her now, although she was often hesitant to reciprocate and talk about Ed. There wasn't really much to say that wouldn't piss Daryl off. She had shared stories about Sophia, but every time she did the nightmares seemed to rear their ugly head. It was so long ago, yet she was still healing.

Daryl stopped dancing. "There's something I would like to do, if you'll let me..." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the jasper necklace.

"Oh thank God," Carol said with relief. "I really didn't want to give it back." She looked up at him and started babbling apologetically, "that was so mean, I'm sorry, I was just really angry, and hurt. Please don't ever think I'm not grateful. It's honestly the most beautiful thing I've ever been given. I..." Before she could get another word out Daryl silenced her with a kiss.

"You talk too much," he teased after pulling away. "Turn around."

Carol turned and soon felt the cool stone against her skin. Daryl did up the clasp and turned her to face him. Carol touched the jasper with her fingertips. "Thank you. Again."

They stared at each other for a moment. It could have been awkward, but it wasn't. It was peaceful.

Finally Carol broke the silence. "Earlier, you didn't give me a chance..." she started.

"You don't have to," Daryl interrupted. "I mean, don't feel like you have to say it because I did. If you're not ready, it's ok."

This time Carol silenced him with a kiss. "You talk too much," she mocked him jokingly. "Of course I'm ready. I honestly think I would have said it months ago if I wasn't scared you would take off into the woods and never come back." She knew now that she had loved him for a long time.

Carol reached up and moved aside a piece of hair that had fallen over his eye. "I love you Daryl. I love you with all my heart."

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Her words ignited something inside him. She lit a fuse that had been waiting to burn his entire life. And suddenly he had to be closer to her. He needed to feel her skin and longed to taste her kiss.

Daryl grabbed her and pulled Carol into perhaps the most passionate kiss they had ever shared. His hand sought out the back of her neck and pulled her even closer. His tongue was probing deep inside her mouth. She tasted sweet; a hint of grape juice still lingered. His other hand slid down her back, lower and lower until he found her ass. He grabbed it, perhaps a little too roughly he realized, as she made a little squeal of pain into his mouth.

Carol's hands were on his back. She had slid them up inside his shirt and was softly caressing his skin. No one else had ever touched his scars but her, he wouldn't allow it. With anyone else he felt nothing but their pity. With Carol there was only empathy and complete understanding. She didn't feel sorry for him, she was proud of him for surviving, just like she had.

Carol had moved her hands to his hips. The jeans were a size too big and they hung low. She teased at the skin just above the material, lightly brushing her fingertips from the sides to the front. It was incredibly erotic and Daryl felt his cock respond accordingly.

He was disappointed when she stopped but once Carol started pulling off his shirt the disappointment faded. They broke the kiss as he helped tug off the shirt and toss it aside.

Daryl wanted to rip the dress off her and see the gorgeous body underneath but he restrained himself to allow her to explore his bare chest. She grazed lightly with her finger tips at first, from his collarbones to his abdomen and back up, then pressed harder, her warm palms smoothly stroking his chest.

When he couldn't bare it anymore he reached for her zipper. She turned to allow him to pull it all the way to the bottom. Daryl flicked one strap over her shoulder and kissed the newly bared skin he had exposed. Painfully slowly he slid the other strap off and the dress started to slip down. It caught on the curve of her hips but with one light tug the dress was nothing more than a puddle at her ankles, and Carol was nude, completely naked. Her perfectly shaped ass glowing in the candlelight.

"Holy fuck, you weren't wearing a thing under that dress this whole time? Jesus Christ woman, are you trying to kill me?" he groaned. His erection was full blown and itching to escape the confines of his pants and underwear.

It was too soon for that though, if he had any chance at all of making this more than a quick fuck. She deserved more, even though Daryl knew she would be happy with whatever happened. As nervous as he had been leading up to what was finally about to happen, he knew that Carol had a special way of making you feel like you were doing everything right, and this would be no different. But Daryl wanted to know he actually was doing everything right, and that meant he needed to make sure she was completely satisfied long before he allowed himself to be.

Daryl stepped closer. He pressed his body against her, so she could feel his arousal and know what she was doing to him. He reached around her body and cupped her breasts. He simply couldn't bear not to touch them. He teased her nipples feeling them grow stiff in between his fingertips. Carol sighed arching her back with pleasure and leaning her head back against him.

Daryl slid one hand down over her stomach, past her belly button, lower and lower. Carol spread her legs slightly to give him better access. When his fingers found their destination his heart started to hammer even harder. She was warm and wet, so fucking wet. Daryl closed his eyes and fought to breathe.

He couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to taste her. Daryl had been wanting to lick her pussy for weeks, maybe even months. And he was going to. She gasped in surprise when he lifted her off her feet and carried her to side of the bed. He realized too late that it probably wasn't the best idea with his leg no where near 100% but it was only a few steps and somehow he managed without incident. Daryl set her down gently in the middle, then moved to the end of the bed to crawl between her legs. Carol looked shocked when she realized what he was doing. "Don't," she said softly. "I mean, you don't have to."

"I want to," he replied, looking into her eyes.

"Are you sure? I mean, no one's ever..." she looked away, embarrassed.

Daryl leaned forward and touched her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I want to," he said again. "Will you let me?"

Carol nodded and relaxed her legs, allowing him to spread them far enough to get his head in between. The first time his tongue found her clit Carol gasped and shuddered with pleasure. He probed deeper, tasting her, and feeling her slick juices on his tongue and lips. When he found her clit again Carol grabbed his head begging for more.

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Carol was pretty sure if you could die from ecstasy she was already dead. Never in her life had something felt so incredible. Whatever he was doing down there, with his tongue, was like nothing she had experienced before. She had her hands in his hair, holding him there just in case he decided to quit at some point. She certainly wasn't going to let that happen until she had an orgasm, which Carol realized was surely not going to be much longer anyway.

She fought it off as long as she could, not wanting the incredible feeling to end, but at the same time looking forward to that sweet moment of release. When she just couldn't hold off any longer Carol let go. She let the world explode into a million pieces, grabbing the bed sheets tightly in her hands. She had let go of Daryl's head and hair, afraid she would hurt him unintentionally. Carol bit hard on her lip, fighting off the scream that was trying to escape her. Instead it came out as a quiet whimper she just wasn't able to contain. Her entire body felt tingly. For a second everything went black and she couldn't breath. Nearing the end her body shuddered and a calmness washed over her.

Carol wasn't sure when Daryl had emerged from between her legs but when she opened her eyes there he sat, watching her, with a grin. She lazily reached out to him, pulling him towards her for a kiss. Carol hesitated when their lips met, she could smell her scent on him. Daryl took her hesitation as an invitation to take control, which he did. Now she could taste it, but she wasn't quite sure if she was repulsed or turned on. She decided she didn't need to figure it out right then so Carol reached for his pants and undid the button.

When she pulled the zipper down his erection immediately sprung out as far as the boxers would allow it. Carol shoved his pants down as much as she could without breaking the kiss and Daryl struggled to kick them the rest of the way off. His injured leg was making the task difficult and he finally had to pull away to get them off. Daryl stood up and took off the underwear too. He stood naked before her, his body illuminated by the flickering glow of the candles. Carol stared at him, he was beautiful.

Never in her life had she been so aroused so quickly after an orgasm. She wasn't one of those multiple orgasm type of gals, at least not that she knew of. But with Daryl standing there in front of her, fully aroused, and staring at her with a look of hunger that made her face flush, Carol wanted him so badly she ached. She had wanted to give him the same patience and pleasure he had given her but it would have to wait. She just couldn't go one more second without feeling him inside her. Weeks and weeks of build up and pent up sexual frustration had led to this moment. It couldn't be put off any longer.

Carol met his hungry stare with a look of deep lust and only spoke one simple word, "now." Immediately he moved to her as she opened her legs, inviting him in. Daryl started to slide into her, slowly and carefully, making sure he wasn't going to hurt her. But her patience had gone right out the window. Carol thrust her body towards him, wrapping her legs around his body and pulling him towards her at the same time. She heard a low groan escape his throat as they were fully joined, matching the same sigh of pleasure that she released.

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Everything she was doing was making him crazy. Daryl had no idea how he was going to make this last when she was somehow taking control away from him simply by urging him on.

His plan to take it slow and steady was already shot. Carol was having none of that. He wanted to just fuck her fast and hard like she obviously wanted him to, but he just couldn't be sure it would last more than about 10 seconds at the point. He needed to get control back somehow and slow things down, at least for a little while.

Carol's legs were still wrapped around him so Daryl grabbed her hands and pulled her body up to meet his. He was still buried deep inside her but he didn't have to keep thrusting. Instead he kissed her again, first on the mouth, followed by her neck and shoulders before he finally found a nipple and drew it inside his mouth, sucking hard. She gasped with pleasure and arched her back, which forced her down hard on his cock, reminding him just how wet she was. He couldn't resist pulling out slightly and driving back into her again.

Daryl knew at that point it was over. She had won. He would give her exactly what she wanted. She felt too fucking good to hold off any longer. He flipped Carol onto her back again and repositioned himself. Daryl settled his hands on her hips for leverage and pushed himself deep inside her. He froze, for the briefest of moments but the slightest hesitation was too long for Carol, "Fuck me Daryl, now!"

Daryl obliged her request thrusting into her over and over again. He watched her face. Her eyes were closed and she was biting hard on her lip. He wished she would just let go. "No one will hear you," he said softly, encouraging her. "Come on baby." Daryl continued to drive into her, faster and faster. He smiled when she finally quit biting her lip and those little noises she was making got louder.

He knew he was close and was actually surprised at how long he had lasted. But he wanted her to climax first so he fought hard to hold himself together. Suddenly she was silent, just for a second and the next time he pushed into her she cried out. Her body shuddered and he could feel the strong contractions squeezing hard on his dick. That was all it took to send him over the edge too. He felt his balls tighten first and then release, as he came inside her. The pleasure came in waves and he felt dizzy. Daryl held tightly to her hips as if letting go might somehow effect the length of his orgasm.

When it was over Daryl was exhausted. He collapsed, rolling them both, still joined, to one side to avoid crushing her. His leg was aching but it didn't matter. Nothing could distract him from what he had just experienced.

He cradled her in his arms and lightly stroked her back. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Daryl could feel himself slipping out of her as his penis started to go limp. He pulled the rest of the way out and moved onto his back so they would both be more comfortable.

When Carol lay her head against his chest he felt something wet. "Are you crying?" he asked, suddenly nervous he had done something wrong.

"Yes," she sniffled, laughing at the same time. "but I don't know why. I'm sorry. It was amazing." She propped herself up on an elbow and kissed him softly. "I'm glad we waited, tonight was perfect."

"Me too," he agreed quietly, with a smile.

"And now I know it really is possible," Carol said with a yawn.

The yawn was contagious. "What's possible?" he asked.

"I'll tell you later," she replied sleepily.

She lay her head back on his chest and snuggled her warm body against him. Daryl was too tired to press the issue. He yawned again and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure who fell asleep first.


End file.
